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MEMORIALS 



OF 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS, 



ARRANGED 



7 

ALPHABETICALLY BY COUNTIES, 



WITH 



COMPLETE INDEX OF NAMES, 



DATES OF SEEYICE FROM lOSi TO 
THE PRESENT TIME. 



COMPILED BY F. JOHNSTON, 

FORMERLY CLERK OF ROANOKE COXTNTY. 



J>>3»TJ 3 J ) 3 3 3 3 



LYK'OHliU'R'-:^,' ■\Vi :, ' , , s ^ ' , > 
J. p. Bell, Company, Book and Job Printers. 

1S88. 



'01 
Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1888, 
BY F. JOHNSTON, 
In the oftice of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



^V-' 

.3^^-a'^ 



PREFACE AND DEDICATION. 



THERE will be found in this volume the names and 
dates of service, of more than eight hundred clerks, 
who Lave held office in every county in tlie State of Vir- 
ginia, going back to the year 1634, when the colony of the 
Old Dominion was divided into eight counties or shires, 
then named respectively, Charles City, Elizabeth City, 
Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, Northampton, War- 
wick and York. 

From these have been formed all the counties in the 
State at different times, which will appear in alphabetical 
order, each county showing the date of its formation, from 
what county or counties formed, and the names and dates 
of service of the clerks from the begii^ning, so far as they 
can now be procured. Owing to the fact that a considera- 
ble number of the clerk's offices and public records have 
been destroyed by fire and otherwise, some of these lists 
are necessarily defective ; but a sufficient number have been 
obtained to make a valuable contribution to the early and 
later history of the State. 

About one hundred memorials or biographical sketches 
have also been obtained, many of which will be found 
deeply interesting, as portraying the character of a number 
of men who were remarkable for their skill, intelligence, 
and usefulness as clerks, and some of whom have made up 
no small part of the history of the communities in which 



IV I'KEKACE AND DEDICATION. 

they lived and ilourished. Among these a few havs been 
quite remarkable for the length of their service ; u John 
Nicholas, the second clerk of Albemarle county, wio held 
the office of clerk ior the amazing period of sixty-six years; 
James Keith, of Frederick county, who held the office for 
sixty-two years, besides a dozen or more who held the office 
for more than fifty years. Without intending to be in- 
vidious, the following may be mentioned as exceptionally 
skillful clerks, or otherwise remarkable men, viz. : John 
Robinson, of Richmond city, who published a Book of 
Forms for clerks as early as 1708 ; Branch J. Worsham, of 
Prince Edward ; Spottswood Garland, of Nelson ; Rolfe 
Eldridge, of Buckingham, who, through John Rolfe, was a 
descendant of Pocahontas; Robert Hudgin, of Caroline, 
who, at the advanced age of eighty-six, does more or less 
work in his office every day, and was re-elected almost 
unanimously at the general election in May, 1887, for an- 
other term ; James Rochelle, the accomplished clerk of 
Southampton for twenty years; Major John Wise, of Ac- 
comack, the father of Henry A. Wise ; Col. S. McD. Reid, 
of Rockbridge ; Col. Samuel Staples, and Col. A. Staples, 
of Patrick county ; Thomas A. Tidball, of Frederick county ; 
J. J. Burroughs, of Princess Anne county ; W^inslow Rob- 
inson, of Charlotte county ; Francis Fitzgerald, of Nottoway 
county ; Robert W. Christian, Edmund T. Christian, and 
Edmund Waddill, of Charles City county ; Leroy G. Ed- 
wards and Arthur Emerson, of Norfolk ; Henry J. Gamble, 
of Rockingham ; Philip Williams, of Shenandoah ; James 
Steptoe, for fifty-four years the clerk of Bedford county, 



PREFACE AND DEDICATION. T 

who was the college-mate and life-long friend of Thomas 
Jefferson, and was an historical character, being immor- 
talized by William Wirt in his life of Patrick Henry as the 
clerk of the District Court, held at New London, before 
which Henry made his famous speech in the John JSooh 
case. The office of clerk has been held by James Steptoe 
and his descendants for more than a hundred years. The 
same is true of the Millers of Goochland, the Wallers of 
Spotsylvania, the Chews of Fredericksburg, the Pollards of 
the three counties of Hanover, King William, and King 
and Queen, the Youngs of Isle of W^ight, the Christians of 
Charles City, and some others. Several hundred autographs 
of the old clerks have been obtained, /ac similes of which 
would have added to the interest of the volume, but find- 
ing that these would add very largely to the cost of publi- 
cation, the author has felt constrained to limit the number 
to fifty, which will be found in their appropriate places. 

And no.w, I dedicate this work, which has cost an amount 
of labor that few would be willing to undertake, to the 
descendants of these old clerks, whose memories I have in 
this way sought to rescue from oblivion, as belonging to a 
class of men who, in their own particular sphere, have 
occupied a high and honorable position in the annals of 
Virginia, and whose memories the present generation ought 
not willingly to let die, for, *' take them for all in all, we 
ne'er shall look upon their like again." F. J. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



ACCOMACK COUNTY. 



AccAWMACKE — as it was ancientlj spelt — is the north- 
ernmost of the two counties forinino^ the "Eastern 
Shore of Virginia," which is cut off from the rest of 
the State by the Chesapeake Baj. The name is derived 
from a tribe of Indians who once inhabited this region. 
The earliest records in the clerk's office of Accomack 
county bear date in 1663, and begin with the following 
preface : " At a court held in Accomack county ye 
21st Aprill by his Majesty's justices of the peace for 
ye said county in ye lifteenth year of the Raigne of 
our Sovreign Lord Charles ye Second by ye Grace of 
God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland — King, 
Defender of ye faith, and in ye year of our Lord God 
1663. Present, Anto. Ilodgkins, Capt. George Parker, 
Mr. Dev. Brown, Mr. A\^est, Mr. John Wise." The 
proceedings of this court close with the following orders : 
*' Ordered that ye next court be held ye 22d day of 
May at Mr. Anto. Ilodgkins' house." " Oj-dered that 
ye sheriff give ye darke notice then to attend ye 
court." 

There is no reference to the appointment or commis- 
sion of Robert Hutchinson, whose first signature as 
clerk appears May 23d, 1663, and his last September 
26th, 1670 ; and he probably qualified in Norihamjpton^ 



8 0M> VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

fsince, at the court held for Accomack on tlie date first 
given, the surveyors of the highways are directed to 
proceed in their work, according to orders made at 
Northampton March 28d, 1663. 

The following order of court is co})ied from the 
records of 1674: "At a court lield for ye npper part 
of Northampton, formerly called Accomack, Novem- 
ber 16, 1670, Upon the Honorable the Secretary's 
word to Col. John Stringer, that Mr. Robert Hutchin- 
son, late clerk of the county of Accomack, should 
desist from being any longer in the said office, and that 
the records of the said county should be delivered to 
the clerk of the court of the county of Northampton, 
which the said Hutchinson being unwilling to do, with- 
ont an ordei* from this court to impower the clerk of 
Northampton county to give him a discharge from the 
same. It is therefore ordered l)y the court that the said 
Mr. Hutchinson forthwith deliver all the said records 
to Mr. AVilliam Mettinge, clerk of the coni't of North- 
ampton, hee giving a discharge for the same accord- 
ingly." 

For some time dnring this period (1670 to 1674) the 
records are signed by Daniel Neech, deputy clerk 
Northampton ; then by John Culi)eper, clerk North- 
amj)ton ; again by Daniel Neech, deputy clerk North- 
ampt«»n ; and after Accomack connty commission in 
1672-8, they are signed by Neech, deputy clerk Acco- 
mack ; afterwards l)y Lord, deputy clerk Accomack ; 
and for one court immediately preceding AVashbourne, 
Lord signs himself clerk. That is su})posed to have 
been after Cnlpeper's death. In appointing Mr. Francis 
Lord his deputy for Accomack in 1674, Culpe))er states 
that he acts by virtue of a conmiission received by him 



OLD VIK(.tL\IA clerks. ft 

from Ilcmomble Thomas Lndwell, Secretary of the 
Colony, to officiate as clerk, either by himself or his 
deputies, in any court or courts on the Eastern Shore 
of Yirginia. (It would seem from this that the names 
of Accomack and Northampton were sometimes given 
interchangeably to both counties in their early history.) 

In giving the names of the clerks of Accomack, we 
begin witli — 

1. Robert Hutchinson, from 1663 to 1670, - 7 years. 

2. Francis Lord, from 1670 to 1674, - - 4 years. 

3. John A\^aslibourne, from 1674 to 1703, - 29 years. 

4. Robert Snead, from 1703 to 1714, - - 11 years. 

5. Charles Snead, from 1714 to 1727, - - 13 years. 

6. John Jackson, from 1727 to 1737, - - 10 years. 

7. George Holden, from 1737 to 1774, - - 37 years. 

8. Littleton Savage, from 1774 to 1804, - 30 years. 

9. Edmund Bayly, from 1804 to 1805, - - 1 year. 

10. John Wise, from 1805 to 1812, - - - 7 years. 

11. Richard D. Bayly, from 1812 to 1828, - 16 years. 

12. Thomas R. Joynes, from 1828 to 1845, - 17 years. 

[|^^ See below extracts from a memorial 
of him published in 1875 by his brother, Dr. 
Levin S. Joynes. He was clerk both of the 
county and superior or circuit courts.] 

33. James J. Ailworth, from July, 1845, to 

January, 1850, 5 years. 

14. John W. Gillet, from January, 1850, to 

January, 1862, and again from May, 

1865, to March, 1869, 16 years. 

He was also circuit court clerk from 1865 

to 1869, - - 4 yeai-s. 

15. John B. Ailworth, from 1862 to 1865, - 3 years. 



10 OKI) VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 

16. Win. 11. B. Ciistis, from March, 1860, to 

July, 1887, - - - - - - - - - 18 years. 

Also circuit court clerk iVom 1800 to 1 875. 

17. Montcalm Oldham, Jr., was elected in 

Mav, 1887, clerk of county court. He 
had been clerk of the circuit court from 
lS75tol887, ------- -12 years. 

Jvob't J. Poulson (circuit court) from 1848 

to 18r>8, ---------- 10 years. 

John D. Grant was elected clerk of the circuit court 
in May, 1887, for a term of six years. 

CI.EKKS OF ACCOMACK rOUNTY. 

Major .lolm AYise, one of the old clerks of Accomack 
county was the oldest son of Col. John AVise, and his 
wife, ]Vrargaret Douglas. This Col. John AV^ise died in 
the year 1770, five years before the Revolutionary war 
began, lie was a commissioned colonel of the King's 
militia, one of the King's justices for Accomack, and 
also county lieutenant, a kind of deputy to the colonial 
Governor, which each of the counties of Virginia had 
at that time. He was a great-grandson of still another 
John AVise, a native of England, who sailed from 
Gravesend, in that country, July -Ith, 1035, and settled 
in Accomack, then Northampton, county, in what is 
called the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where he had 
granted to him extensive tracts of land ; and after- 
wards, when Accomack was formed, in 1G62, he was 
appointed amongst the very first of the King's justices 
for that county. This first John AVise who came from 
England and l)ecame the great-grandfather of Col. 
John AVise, who was the son of Major John AVise, the 
clerk of Accomack, was descended from Sir AVilliam 



OLD VTKGIXIA CLERKS. 11 

Wise, who belonged to one of the v^ery oldest English 
families, as may be seen by consulting the pages of 
Burke's " Landed Gentry." Sir William Wise, besides 
being near related to John Russell, first Earl of Bed- 
ford, and who was considered the most accomplished 
man in England at that period, was also a blood relation 
of Lord HuiLsdon, a nobleman who w^as noted for the 
blunt honesty of his character, and who was a first 
cousin to Queen Elizabeth. Sir Baldwin Eulford, an 
English Knight, who distinguished himself in the Cru- 
sades against the Saracens in the Holy Land, and who 
was a " great soldier," as Prince styles him in his book, 
entitled " AVorthies of Devon," was the great, great, 
grandfather of Sir William Wise, one of Sir Baldwin 
Fulford's daughters, Thomasine, having married a John 
Wise, who was the great, great-grandfather of Sir Wil- 
liam Wise, and consequently was the ancestor of the 
John AVise w^ho came from England to Virginia in 1635. 
Moreover, Sir William Wise was himself a man of note, 
being so well known for his vyisdoin and wH that he 
was raised, on that account, to the order of Knighthood 
by King Henry YIIL, and hence his title of Sir Wil- 
liam. 

Margaret Douglas, the wife of Col. John Wise, and 
the mother of Major John AYise, was a daughter of 
Col. George Douglas, a native of Scotland, who had 
settled in Accomack, was a lawyer by profession, and a 
descendant of the famous Earls of Angus, whose family 
name was Douglas, and who figured so conspicuously 
in Scottish history. One of the earliest of them, Sir 
George Douglas, Earl of Angus, married Mary, daugh- 
ter of Robert III., King of Scotland ; and from this 
Sir George Douglas and liis wife, Mary, was descended. 



12 OI.I) VIK(.1MA (l.KRKS. 

tliroTi*;(h Archibald Douglas, tlie ''great" Earl of An- 
gus, (as lie was called,) Col. George Douglas, the Scotch 
lawyer, who settled in Acconiack, and whose daughter, 
Margaret, became the mother of Major John Wise. 
Some of the law books which belonged to Col. George 
Douglas are now in the possession of Honorable John 
S. Wise, of Hichmond, Virginia, having come to him 
by inheritance, through Major Wise. They include 
some old English Reports, a Natura Brechiin of the first 
edition, and a " Coke on Littleton," printed in 1629. 
Major John Wise, the clerk of Accomack, like his 
grandfather. Col. George Douglas, was educated to the 
profession of law, in the practice of which he acquired 
a considerable fortune, which, together with the large 
estate iidierited l)y him from his father, Col. John 
Wise, made him one of the wealthiest men of his day 
on the entire Eastern Shore of A^irginia. In 1790, he 
was elected to represent Accomack in the House of 
Delegates, and he continued to represent the county in 
that body by successive amiual re-elections, for a period 
of ten years. 

In 1798, and again in 179:>, ]\Iajor Wise was elected 
speaker of the House of Delegates, defeating for that 
position, in 1798, Wilsun Cary Nicholas, who became 
so well known in Virginia as one of its Congressmen, 
United States Senator and Governor of the State. It 
was during the speakership of Major AVise, that the 
Legislature of Virginia passed its famous Resolutions 
of 1798-99. Besides Wilson Cary Xicholas, there 
served in the House of Delegates during the time that 
Major AVise was speaker, such eminent Virginians as 
AVm. II. Cabell, AVm. R. Giles and Littleton AValler 
Tazwell. each <>f whom afterwards became Governor 



ol.l) VIH(rlNIA (I.KKKS. 13 

of tlie kState, also Judge JStauard, of the Supreme 
Court of Appealfi, and James Barbour, of the well- 
known Barbour family of ^^irginia. After the expira- 
tion of his second term of speakership, which was in 
1800, ]\Iajor Wise retired to Accomack, and continued 
tlie practice of the law, in connection with the manage- 
ment of his plantations, of wliich he owned no less than 
six, besides a large amount of personalty in the shape 
of slaves and otiier property. On the 28th of January, 
1805, he was appointed conniiouwealtlfs attorney for 
Accomack, and so served until the 25th of Xovend)er of . 
the same year, when he was appointed and (pialitied as 
clerk of the county, (tlie commonwealth's attorneys 
and clerks of courts in those days l)eing appointed in- 
stead of l)eing elected, as at present). Major Wise con- 
tinued to hold the office of clerk of Accomack until 
his death, which took place on tlie oi>th of ^larch, 
1812, the very year in which the second war with 
Great Britain connnenced. There are two pictures of 
Major John Wise now in existence, one of them being 
in the possession of John II. Wise, of San Francisco, 
California, the other in that of General Peyton Wise, 
of Bichmond, Virginia. They show him to have had 
a fine, handsome face, a splendid forehead, and express- 
ive, penetrating eyes. That he was a man of a very 
high order of ability and character, is not only clearly 
portrayed in the pictures themselves, but it is also evi- 
denced by the facts that the people of Accomack con- 
tinued him for so long a period as their representative 
in the House of Delegates, and that body twice chose 
him to be its speaker, though at the time it contained 
so many able and eminent men. / I 

Major Wise was twice married, his first wife being 



14 OLD VIi;(.I.\JA CLKRKS. 

Marv Ileiirv. a dani>'liter of Jiuli^e James llenrv, of 
Nortliuiiiberlaiid county, A'irgiiiia, one of the Judges 
of the (xeiieral Coui't, as it was then called, though he 
liad before been a Judge of the Admiralty, or iirst 
('ourt of Appeals of Yii'ginia. Major AVise's first wife 
died August 9th, 171^1. By her there were l)orn four 
children, all sons, two of whom died in infancy. For 
liis second wife Major Wise married Sarah Corbin Crop- 
])er, a daughter of (leneral John Cropper, a prominent 
and wealthy citizen of Accomack, Avho was at the time 
a bricradier-o-eneral in the State militia, had been in 
the State Senate, and had also been an olticer in the 
Ttevolutioiiai'v army under the command of AVashing- 
ton. (xeneral Cropper had entered the army at the age 
of nineteen as captain of a company, leaving, for that 
pui'})ose, a young wife at home, to whom he had been 
married less than a year, and, by the time he had at- 
tained the age of twenty-one, he had risen to be colonel 
of the Eleventh Virginia regiment in General Wood- 
ford's bricrade, the Maniuis de La Fayette's division of 
Washington's army, (xeneral Cropper was in the bat- 
tles of Trenton, Princeton, l>randywine, Chad's Ford, 
(iei'mantown and Monmouth. Leaving the army in 
1 779, (xeneral Cro])per was afterwards given, by Wash- 
ington, the command of the fourteen lower counties of 
A^irgim'a, and wliile in this command, had two engage- 
ments with the enemy, in one of which he was severely 
wounded. 

(xeneral Croi)per was also the great-grandson of Sir 
Edmund l^owman, an English Knight, who had settled 
in Accomack, where he owned a tine estate which had 
descended to (xeneral Cropper l)y inheritance. l>y his 
second wife. Miss Cropper, who died Januaiy 21st, 



OLD VIliOlNIA CLERKS. 15 

1813, Major Wise had six cliildren, live sons and one 
dangliter. Two of the sons, like two of those by his- 
first wife, also died in infancy. Still another son, who 
was the oldest child of his second wife, died unmarried 
tlie year after the death of Major Wise. Of the five 
remaining children by both wives, which Major Wise 
left to survive him and to inherit his estates, only four 
married, namely, three sons and the daughter. The 
late General Henry A. (who died in 187^5, and who was 
so distinguished as an American statesman and orator, 
having been, for eleven years, a leading mendjer of the 
United States Congress, then United States plenipo- 
tentiary to Brazil, Governor of Virginia, a general in 
tlie Confederate army, also author of a book entitled 
'' Seven Decades of the Union," which has been so 
popular as to call for another edition after his death, 
and in honor of whom Wise county, Virginia, and 
Wise county, Texas, were named,) was a son of Major 
Wise by his second wife. Miss Cropper, having been 
born during the time that his father was clerk of Acco- 
mack, and his sons. Honorable John S. Wise, of Kich- 
mond, Virginia, ex-United States Congressman at large 
from Virginia, and Dr. K. A. Wise, of Williamsburg, 
a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, are 
grandsons of Major Wise. John H. Wise, of San 
Francisco, and General Peyton Wise, of Eichmond, 
(both alluded to above) and Honorable George D. Wise, 
at present a member of the United States Congress 
from the Richmond district, Virginia, are also grand- 
sons of Major Wise by his second wife. Miss Ci-opper, 
they being among six sons now living of Major Wise's 
only daughter, Margaret Douglas Pettit Wise, who 
died in 1866, and who married her double second cousin, 



If) ol.i) NIK'fiiMA ri.KlIKS. 

Tloiiorahle I'll 11 v R. Wise, of Afcoiiiack, who, betiides 
haviii«>: heeii twit-e chosen to repre^^eiit his county in 
tlie A'ii'iriiiia House of Delegates, lield, at tlie time of 
Ills (leatli, tlie j)ositioii of first auditor of the I'liited 
States Treasui'v, at Wasliington, D. C. and who, like 
Major Wise himself, was descended from l)oth the first 
John Wise, w]i(» came from Eui^land and settled in 
Accomack, and through him from the old English 
AVises. and also from Colonel George Douglas, the 
Scotch lawyer, and through him from the Douglas 
family of Scotland, though, in each case, exactly one 
degree ivmotei- than Major Wise. Besides those already 
mentioned, thei-e are a nund)er of other descendants of 
^fajnr Wise n(»w li\ing in different States of the Union, 
some of whom aiv now holding, and others have held, 
hiii'li and lioiiorahle ])ul)lic positions. 

Majoi' .lohn Wise now lies buried in his native county 
of Accomack, among several of his ancestors, on a farm 
called Clifton, whicli, during his life-time, was one of 
his estates, and which formed a part <>f one of his 
estates which had been gi'anted to the first John Wise, 
M-ho came fi'om Englan<l to Accomack in \iu]'>. 

I II DMAS \r. .loVXKS. 

A very interesting ''' Aremoriar' of Thos. K, Joynes 
iwlio was the twelfth clerk of Accomack county, from 
1828 to 1845) was published in jiamphlet form, in the 
year 1875, by his brother, Dr. Levin 11. Joynes, pro- 
fessor in the Medical College of Jvichmond, a copy of 
Avhich has recently come into the hands of F. J., from 
Avhich he is ])ermitted to make a number of brief ex- 
tracts, in which the leading events of his life are given, 
ami some that ilhisti-ate the leading features of his 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 17 

admirable character. It will be seen that in his case 
tlie rule that, so far as I know, has prevailed in every 
other case, was reversed. Many of the most eminent 
judges, lawyers, and even governors (as Governor 
David Campbell) of Virginia had their early training 
in a clerk's office ; while Thos. R. Joynes had no such 
training, but entered at an early age upon the practice 
of the law, and rose to great distinction in that profes- 
sion before his appointment as clerh^ the duties of 
which office he discharged with gi-eat fidelity and ac- 
ceptance to the courts and to the people for about 
twenty years. 

/'Thomas Robinson Joynes, son of Colonel Levin 
Joynes and Ann his wife (formerly Ann Smith), was 
born at Mount Prospect, in Accomack county, Virginia, 
on the ITth of October, 1TS9, and died at Montpelier, 
in the same county, on the 12th of September, 1858. 
His father was an early and ardent patriot, and served 
his country faithfully, both as a soldier during the 
Revolutionary struggle, and as a civilian after its close. 

" Colonel Joynes died at his residence, Mt. Prospect, 
October 22d, 1794, in the forty-second year of his age. 
His wife survived him many years, and he left three 
sons and three daughters, who attained mature age. 
Thomas Robinson, the youngest son, had barely com- 
pleted his fifth year when his father died. His patri- 
mony was insufficient to procure for him the advan- 
tages of a liberal education, and after receiving such 
elementary instruction as could be obtained in a country 
school, he was placed by his mother in the store of 
Messrs. Parker & Gillet, at Pungoteague. Colonel 
Thomas Parker, one of the members of the firm, had 
been a- friend and comrade-in-arms of his father, and 



18 ol.l) VlK(iIMA Cl.KKK.S. 

was, besides, a i-elative of his inotlier, who naturally 
and gladly embraced the oj)portunity of placins; her 
son under his immediate control and trainini>:, and con- 
iirmed the arrangement by regular articles of indenture. 
The son remained in tliis position for several years, 
rendering himself very useful to his employers, ac- 
quiring knowledge of business and accounts; and find- 
ing occasion, from the nature of his duties, for the 
exercise and develo})ment of that remarkable talent 
for mathematical calculation which distinguished him 
tlirough life. '" ^ "' ^ v-- ^- -jf 

Having decided to a(loj)t the profession of law a> the 
business of his life, Mr. eJoynes pursued tlie necessary 
course of study with liis cliai'acteristic diligence and 
earnestness of pur])ose in the office of ^[ajor John 
Wise, of Accomack (father of (-rovernor Jlenry A. 
Wise), who was at that time an eminent member of 
the bar. Major 8. Pitts and Severn E. Parker, who 
were afterwards ])rominent in the })rofession on the 
Eastern Shore, were his fellow-students. He was ad- 
mitted to practice in the county court on tlie 24th of 
September, 1810, and in the superior court on the 6th 
of May, 1811. In the same year (1811) he was elected 
to the House of Delegates. In a printed address to 
the ])eople, announcing himself a candidate, dated 
March 20th, 1811, he avows himself in favor of so 
amending the Constitution of Virginia as to make 
'the sheriffs dependent upon the people for the tenure 
of their offices,' and to strip the county courts of 'some 
of their aristocratical and multifarious powers.' 

"Mr. Joynes was one of the large and l)rilliant 
audience assembled in the Richmond theatre on the 
memorable night ui' the 20th December, 1811; when 



oIJ) VIKiilMA CLERKS. 19 

tlie building was destroyed l)y fire, and over seventy 
persons, among tlieni some of tlie first peo])le of tlie 
city and State (including George William Smith, tlie 
newly-elected Governor of the Commonwealth,) per- 
ished in tlie fiames or were suffocated to death ; hut he 
had the good fortune to escape unhurt. A letter from 
him to his brother. Levin S. Joynes, written on the 
day following that niglit of horrors, gives a vivid pic- 
ture of the scene, and the state of feeling produced by 
ir. not only in Richmond, but all over the State. 

"Mr. Joynes' service in the Legislature was limited 
to this one session, and he never afterwards was a can- 
didate for election to either branch. 

"On the Sth of April, IS 12, he was married to Anne 
Belle Satchell, daughter of Christopher and Anne 
Satchell. For ten years after his marriage he resided 
in Onancock, in a house which, though built of wood, 
and now (187-1:) more than a century old, is still stand- 
ing in good habitable condition, hi 1822, he removed 
to the farm called 'Bowman's Folly,' on the seaside, 
to which the new name of Montpelier was now given ; 
and here he resided until his death. 

" Mr. Joynes' success at the l)ar was rapid and signal. 
He soon attained, and long enjoyed, a bus}" and lucra- 
tive practice. Llis untiring industry and indomitable 
energy, his promptitude, punctuality, and thorough 
Vtusiness liabits ; his clear head and sound and accurate 
knowledge of the law, and his ^perspicuous, direct and 
forci])le style of argument, gained for him the confi- 
dence and })atronage of the public in a measure which 
has probably never been exceeded in the historj- of the 
Eastern Shore bar. 

"In 181.2 (May 26th) Mr. Joynes was appointed 



%) OLD VIKOINIA CLERKS. 

master coiiiniissioner in cliaiicery in the count j court 
of Accomack, to fill the vacancy created b}' the decease 
of liis former law preceptor, Major Wise. 

*'0n the 2d of May, 1814, he was appointed com- 
monwealth's attorney in the superior court, in the place 
of Col. Thomas M. Bayley, who had been elected to 
Congress. This office he continued to hold until ap- 
pointed clerk of the same court in 1828. 

" In 1815, he was appointed surveyor of the county, 
but resigned the office in 1821. 

"In 1825 (October 31), he was appointed common- 
wealth's attorney in the county court, in the place of 
General Pitts, deceased, and so remained until his ap- 
pc»intnient to the clerkshij). 

"On the 3(ith of June, 1828, Mr. Joynes was ap- 
pointed and qualified as clerk ot the county court, and 
on tlie same day was appointed by Judge Upshur and 
<]ualified as clerk of the superior court. 

"Mr. Joynes was elected as one of the delegates to 
the State Convention of 1821)-30 for the district com- 
posed of the counties of Accomack, Xorthampton, 
Matthews, Middlesex and (rloucester, his associates 
from the same district being Col. Thos. M. Bayly and 
Judge Abel P. Upshur of Accomack, and Dr. Cahnn 
H. Head of Northampton. The convention assembled 
in tlie Capitol at Ilichmond on the 5th of October, 
1829. Its composition — embracing as it did amongst 
its members two ex-Presidents (Madison and Monroe), 
John Marshall, chief-justice of the United States, and 
such men as John Ilandolph of Itoanoke, Watkins 
Leigh, Chapman Johnson, Charles Fenton Mercer, 
John Tyler, Littleton W. Tazewell, Wm. B. Cxiles, 
Kobert Stanard, Philip P. Barbour, Philip Doddridge, 



OLD VIR<I]N1A rr.KKKS. 21 

Briscoe G. Baldwin, Robert E. Scott, Win. H. Brodnax, 
and George W. Summers — entitled this convention to 
be regarded as the al)lest body that had assembled in 
the State since the celebrated convention which gave 
the assent of Virginia to the Federal Constitution. It 
was no small honor to belong to such a ])ody ; but 
Ml'. Joynes was by no means a passive or negative 
member, taking an active part in its deliberations, and 
engaging in the discussions of the grave questions 
before it with an ability which commanded universal 
respect, and the highest commendation from such 
men as John Eandolph (who was much more given to 
satire than eulogy), the distinguished Bobert Stanard, 
afterwards judge of the Court of Appeals, and others. 

''The Convention having performed the task of 
adopting an amended Constitution, which was subse- 
quently ratified by the ])opular vote, adjourned on the 
15th of January, 18-^ >, and Mr. Joynes returned to the 
laborious duties of his clerkship. In 1831, he was re- 
appointed clerk of both courts, and again in 1S8S. In 
184r>, his appointment in the superior court was once 
moi'e renewed, Imt he ceased to be clerk of the county 
court by the expiration of his term of office, a re-ap- 
pointment not being desired by him. On the -tth of 
July, 1848, he resigned the clerkship of the superior 
court, after a service of twenty years.'' '-^ '" ^ "^ 

" Allusion has already been made to the leading char- 
acteristics of his mind, and a quotation made from Gov. 
Wise's book in relation to his aptitude for mental arith- 
metic. While his mathematical talent in general 
was of a high order, his ]3ower of calculation was 
truly remarkable, and even exceptional. The most 
complicated calculations of interest, for example, 



1^2 OLD ^IJi(^I^•IA CLERKS. 

lie could acconij^lisli 'l)y his lieair more (juickly than 
most of those i-egarded skillful could do theui with pen 
and paper, and most of the other arithmetical prohlems 
arisinii: in tlie affairs of everv-dav life, he solved with 
readiness and accuracy, in tlie same way/' 

Tlie following handsome and glowing eulogy is from 
the pen of ( ). Jennings AVise, who, at the time of ^fr. 
Joynes' dcatli, was editor of tlie It Ichmond Enquirer, 
and was published under the editorial head a few days 
after his death : 

'"ThoilKlx Ti. Joi/tirs, ,S'/'., of Acc(>rn<(cl\\ IX lilt )ll(>/'(\ 

" We lament to announce the death of one of the 
* mighty men of \'irgim'a' — Thomas K. Joynes, 8r., 
Es(]., of tlic county of Accomack, lie died at his res- 
idence in Accomack, on Sunday, September 1:2th, in 
the sixty-ninth year of his age. lie was an able law- 
yer, who i-osc to success and fortune by his own exer- 
tions, and was distinguished in the State Convention of 
lS2*J-'^)('. by his great ])owers as a debater and statist. 
He was remarkable for his (piickness, clearness and ac- 
curacy. He was the compeer of the brilliant Upshur, 
and was to him what Fox was to Pitt in the l)ritish 
Parliament, lie has been for many years the Nestor 
of tlie Eastern Shore, wliere his loss will be felt most, 
and where his memory will long be cherishtHl as an 
able and good man in all the relations of life. He 
leaves a widow and a large family of children, of whom 
two of his sons are well known for their worth — W. 
T. .loynes, Es<|., of Petersburg, and Dr. L. S. Joynes, 
one of the ]>rofessors in the AFedical College of Rich- 
mond."" 



(U.I) VIK(;IXIA CLEKKS. 23 



alp>p:marle county. 

Albemarle was formed in IT^-i- from (4o<)cliUind. 
The clerks of the Conntij (nnrf have heen: 

1. WiUiam Eaiulolph, from Fehniarv, IT-I-i 

to Fel)rnary, lT4t>, ------ 5 years. 

2. John Xieholas, from Fehniarv, 174*.>, to 

Mareli. lSl.->, -------- Or, years. 

3. Alexander (rarrett. from ^lareli, ISIT). to 

Jmie, IS^U, --------- K; years. 

4-. Ira Garrett, from June, iSol. to April, 
' :--i8(i0. ----------- oS years. 

[I^^It will he >(iiin that the last three 
held the office for !:>() years, averao-ing 4-0 
years. 

5. Vm. J. Points, from April, 1S(U), to 

1870, (^military appointee), - - - - 1 year. 

6. Eohert R. Prentis, from May, iSTn, t(» 

November, ISJI, (died), ----- 1 year. 
T. H. B. Burnley, from Xovend)er, 1871, 

to 1st January, 1873, ------ '1 years. 

8. John W. CtOss, from January, lS7o, to 

July, 1875, --------- L> years. 

9. H. B. Burnley, from July, 1S75, to July, 

ISSl, ----------- f) years. 

10. John W. Goss, from July, 1881, to July, 

1888, (^died), --------- '1 years. 

11. H. B. Burnley, from March, 1883, to 

July, 1887, --------- 1- years. 

12. J. Snowdeu W(K)d, elected at May elec- 

tion, 1887. 



24 (H.i) vii;(;iNiA ([.kkks. 

Dfxfrtcf ((ml Cwcjiii i'uKi'f.s. 

1. John Can-, district court from June, 1805, 

to 1819; circuit superior coui-t liolding 

its iirst term in 1809, - - - - - - 14 years. 

2. Alexander Garrett, from Is 19 to 1852, - 88 years. 
8. Ira Garrett, from 1852 to 18r><i, - - - 17 years. 

4. Will. ff. P<nnts (military appointee\ from 

lS(;il to 1871, -------- 2 years. 

5. l*eimett Taylor, from January, 1871, to 

May, 188H, (resigned), - - - - - 15 years. 

(I. Iticlmrd W. T)iik(\ from 188(; to 1st July. 

I,s87, ----------- 1 year. 

And iv-ck'cted in May. lsS7. for a tci'm (»f >i\ y«3ais. 

ALBEMARLK COIXTV CLERKS. 

BY K. T. W. DUKK, .IK. 
WIIJ.IAM KANDoI.rn. 

On tlie 28tli day of Kehruaiy, 1744, Joshua bVy, 
Peter Jefterson, Allen Howard, Win. Cal>ell, Joseph 
Thompson, and Th<>s. lUdlew, Gent'n, to whom a com- 
mission of the peace, and a (J> (Unius jxoteMuteni for 
administering oaths, had been issued on January 2d, 
1744, l)v Thomas Xelson, de])uty seeretary of the 
colony of Virginia. api)eared to hold the first court 
for the newly estal)lished county of Albemarle. 

With great solemnity, Allen Howard and AVilliam 
(Jabell administered the oaths, which consisted of oaths 
appointed by an act of Parliament to be taken instead 
of the oath of allegiance and supremacy, the abjura- 
tion oath and test, and the oaths of justices of the 
county C(>urt in chancery. Gabell and Howard were 
tlien sworn in by the othei- justices, and then AVilliam 



OI.T) VIIIGIXIA CLKRKS. 25 

Randoli'u jn-(xUiced a commission from Secretary Xel- 
son t<j l)e clerk of the court, and liaviiig ^' taken and 
subscribed tbe usnal oaths to the government and sub- 
scribed the teste, was sworn and aihnitted accord- 
ingly/^ 

It niiglit be as well liere to dwell a little upon the 
names of these justices. Joshua Fry was afterwards 
tlie colonel of the regiment in wliich George Wash- 
ington was lieutenant-colonel, and dying on the 31st 
day of May, 1754:, whilst his regiment w^as on its w-ay 
against the French. Washington succeeded him as 
colonel. He was the ancestor of the Frvs in Albe- 
marie, Madison, Cnlpeper and Orange. 

Peter Jefferson was the father of Thomas Jefferson, 
President of the United States. William Cabell was 
the ancestor of the distinguished family of that name 
in this State. 

After swearing in the clerk, the first business done 
by the court was to fix the "rates of liquors to be 
observed by all ordinary-keepers," and we find yet in 
handwriting of old Randolph that no inn-keeper could 
sell West Indian rum for more than ten shillings a gal- 
lon, but could retail Xew England rum for eighteen 
pence ditto, and good Virginia cider at six pence. 

Of William Pandolph no trace nor memory is left 
save the old faded book of minutes No. 1, 1744-1749. 
Whether he was William Randolph, of Tuckahoe, in 
Goochland, or his son, no one now living can say. That 
he was of that family is beKeved, for the mother of 
William of Tuckahoe was a Fleming, and John Flem- 
ing -was the deputy clerk under William Randolph ; 
but diligent inquiry fails to establish who AVilliam 
Randolph was, other than that he was the first clerk 



^(J en. I) ^■II^<;IMA CLKKKS. 

of the ir<H)(l old county <>f Alhcmark'. niid was suc- 
ceeded ill Fehniai'v, 1T41>, 1)V 

John MCIloI.AS. 

J(j1iii ]Sicliolas served as clerk for the e\ceedini>:Jv 
long ])eriod of sixty-six years, haviuo- been a})p()inted 
in lT4tl, and resigning in 181."). A ])ortion of that 
time he served as clerk of the district coni't as well as 
county court, and during the A\'ar of the revohition his 
deputies did the work of tlie otfice, he sei'ving gal- 
lantly as a soldier in that war. He N\as of the 
same familv with Wilson Carv Nicholas, heino- the 
John Nicholas of Seven Islands, iJuckingham county 
(then in Albemarle), lie owned Belmont, the beautiful 
farm just on the edge of Charlottesvdle, since the 
estate of 8. W. Ficklin, deceased. 

When Nicholas was appointed clei'k, the court-house' 
Avas then near the town of Scottsville, but somewhere 
in the fifties Dr. Thomas Walker, of Castle I fill, in 
Albemarle, gave to the county the land in the town of 
Charlottesville on which the court-house now stands, 
and also land enough to erect the court-house and jail, 
and the court-house was in 17<)2 move<l to the site it 
now occupies. 

Nicholas then moved to Charlottesville, and early 
in this century built what was known as '' The Old 
Stone Tavern," on the site now occupied by Payne's 
livery stables, in (/harlottesville. lie was a man of 
energy and systematic business habits, but of great 
curiosity, and with a decided fondness for gossip. It 
is said that he once succeeded in creating quite a cool- 
ness between Mr. Monroe and jMr. Jeffei*son, which the 
happy tact of the latter succeeded in overconnng. Oov- 



OLD VIKUIXIA OLKUKS. 



2.7 



ernor Thomas Mann Eandolpli on one occasion chal- 
lenged the old gentleman for some breeze of Dame 
Kumor circulated by the old clerk. Tliongh connected, 
they met on Eound Top Mountain, across the Eivanna 
from Monticello. Old Nicholas iired first, and, being 
very near-sighted, missed his aim. With cool and 
dauntless courage, lie faced squarely his antagonist, 
who deliberately raised his pistol and put a bullet-hole 
through the old gentleman's hat. They made friends, 
and old Nicholas wore tlie hat, with the bullet-hole 
through it, until it was no longer wearable. 

For a good many years after the beginning of this 
century, Mr. Nicholas had little to do vnth the office, 
his deputies carrying it on. On the 6th of December, 
1814, lie submitted his resignation, a paper drawn up 
with some care and ex])ressing much feeling. After 
thanking the court for their kindness in permitting hhn 
to receive the profits, whilst doing the work by deputy, 
and stating that it was mainly " on account of the daily 
declining profits of the office" he tendered his resigna- 
tion. 

On tlie (>f.i day of March, 1815, Wm. D. Meri- 
wether, Parmenus Rogers, John A. Michie, James Old 
and Charles \Yingfieid, Gent'n, being on the bench, - 
this resignation was accei)ted, and the court appointed 
as its clerk, 

ALEXANDER GAKKETT. 

Alexander Oarrett had been deputy clerk under 
Nicholas as far back as 1806. He and his brother, Ira 
Garrett, were born in Nelson county. Mr. Garrett was 
a man of more than ordinary ability. Clear-headed, 
and of excellent judgjuent, he accumulated a consid- 
erable fortune. His work, as a clerk, was carefully 



28 OLD VlK(;i\IA CLEKKS. 

and neatly done, and durin<y Ids clerkship he liad good 
deputies. One was the veneralde AVni. Wertenhaker, 
lil»rarian of the ITniversitj of Virginia for more than 
fifty years, and perhaps more widely known and more 
affectionately remembered than any one connected with 
that institution. 

In 1819, Mr. (xarrett was also appointed clerk of the 
superior court of law and chancery in Albemarle, hold- 
ing this latter office until 1852. 

The main woi-k of the county office was done by Ira 
(iarrett, an<l, as his brother accumulated property, 
Ii-a began to tliink he did more work than he got pay 
for. and, in 1831, he announced to his brother that 
he intended to op])«)se him. lie did so, and there are 
vet liviuiJf those wlio remember tlie interest taken in 
the contest. The election was by the justices — of whom 
there were thirty -four. The court-house was crowded. 
On the bench were Jolm AVatson, (presiding justice, 
and father of the veneral)le Judge E. II. AYatson, of 
the Albemarle bar,) Richard Duke, (for many years the 
presiding justice of the county, father of lion. R. T. W. 
Duke, of Chai'lottesville, and grandfather of the pres- 
ent clerk (»f Albemarle circuit court,) ^lann Page, 
Chas. Coda', Opie Xorris and Micajah Woods, (father 
<)f Dr. John Iv. Woods, late of Albemarle.) These, 
and iinctitij others, voted for Ira (iarrett. Samuel 
CaiT, Achilles Broadhead and Thomas J. Randolph, 
{darn HI et venerahile ndinen^ and^^i'^ others voted for 
Alexander Garrett. So, Ira Garrett was elected. Alex- 
ander, however, went on his bond ; so, fraternal rela- 
tions were n«)t interrupted. 

Alexander Garrett married twice. His first wife was 
a Miss MiiK^r, sister of Dabney Minor, of Albemarle. 



/" 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 29 

The issue of tins marriage — a daughter — ^vs,s the first 
wife of V. W. Southall, the distinguished lawyer, of 
CharlottesAdlle, but died early in life, without issue. 
Mr. Garrett's second wife was Evelina Boiling, a de- 
scendant of Pocahontas ; by her he had four children : 

1. John Bolhng Garrett, twice married — first, a Miss 
Walker, of Fredericksburg; second, MissN. H. Harri- 
son, wlio, with two daughters, survives him. 

2. Susan, married Thomas Johnson, M. D., the first 
demonstrator of anatomy in the University of Yirginia. 

3. Evelina, who married Alexander Duke, and left 
one child, Susan, the wife of Major 11. W. Jones, of 
Taylorsville, Yirginia. 

4. Clarissa, who married Dr. Thomas J. Pretlow, of 
Southampton. 

Mr. Garrett lived until 1860, being nearly eighty-six 
years of age. 

IRA GARRETT, 

the brother of Alexander Garrett, succeeded him as 
clerk of the county court in 1831, as noted, and also 
succeeded him as clerk of the superior court in 1852. 

Alexander Garrett having retired, the contest was a 
warm one — Mr. Saunders, James Tobban, Allen Ma- 
gruder and Wm. Wertenbaker opposing Mr. Ira Gar- 
rett. The latter, however, was elected by a majority 
greater than the combined vote of his antagonists. 

He held both of these ofiices until removed by the 
military, in April, 1869. 

He had the reputation of being the best clerk in tlie 
State, and was, perhaps, one of the most popular men 
in the county of Albemarle. Of a gentle, easy-going 
disposition, polite, accommodating and generous to a 



30 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

fault. Thoiio^li the revenue from the two offices was- 
about $5,000 or $6,000 a year, Mr. Garrett died poor. 

He had a mania for building cottages, and, after oc- 
cupying them for a while, would move out and build 
elsewhere. This did not add to his fortune. He was 
a good liver, and always had the best the market 
afforded, without regard to price. 

He married the eldest daughter of John Watson, 
(heretofore mentioned,) and left a large family. He 
died in 1870, soon after his removal. The office was 
then tilled by AVm. J. Points, until the new Constitu- 
tion was adopted ; and on AFay 2d, 1870, John L. 
Cochran, county judge, appointed county clerk, to hold 
until the regular election, 

KOBKRT U. 1»KKXT1S, 

who was subse<pieiitly, in November, 1870, elected 
clerk. C/olonel Prentis was a member of the old family 
of I^rentis which settled originally in N ansemond county. 
He was a practicing lawyer, but was, just before the 
war, elected proctor of the University of Virginia, a 
pOvSition he tilled with ability and good judgment until 
I860. He was a gentleman of the most genial and 
affable manners, and of desel'ved popularity. He mar- 
ried a Miss Whitehead, of Xansemond county, and 
dying in November, 1871, left several sons and daugh- 
ters surviving hiuL One of his sons is. Robert R. 
Prentis, an eminent lawyer of Suffolk, and mayor of 
that jilace. Colonel Prentis was succeeded by 

HORACE B. BUMLEY, 

who was appointed 29th November, 1871, and held 
until Jamiary 1st, 1873, when Major John W. Goss 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 3!l 

was elected clerk, Mr. Biunley becoming his deputy, 
tlie office being shared equally between them. 

Mr. Bumley is the son of Nathaniel Bumley and 
Sally Wood, daughter of the late Drury Wood, Esq., 
of Albemarle county. In 1 875, Mr. Bumley was elected 
derk. Major Goss being his deputy. In, 1881, Major 
Ooss was elected, Mr. Bumley being deputy. Major 
Goss dying in 1888, Mr. Bumley was appointed, and 
then elected clerk, serving to the 1st of July, 1887, 
when he was succeeded by J. Snowden Wood. Mr. 
Bumley was a candidate for re-election, and would 
undoubtedly have been re-elected luit for tlie fact that 
there were two Democrats in the field, and the Bepub- 
lican candidate was elected by a plurality of two hun- 
dred votes. 

Mr. Bumle-y still lives, warmly admired by his numer- 
ous friends. He married a Miss Greenlee, of Rock- 
bridge county. 

JOHN W. GOSS. 

Major Goss, who with Mr. Bumley was clerk as 
hereinbefore stated, was a gentleman of fine presence, 
of genial and pleasant manners, and much beloved in 
Albemarle county. He served as high sheriff for a 
term, and represented the county in the House of 
Delegates. He married a Miss Lewis of Augusta, and 
left a family of three sons and three daughters. He 

died on the 15th day of March, 1871, in the year 

of his age. 

J. SNOWUEN WOOD, 

the present clerk, is a young gentleman of pleasant 
and agreeable manners, the son of John Wood, Jr., of 
Albemarle. He is unmarried. 



.32 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



CIECUIT CLEEKS. 

Three of the clerks of the circuit court were clerks 
of tlie county court, to-wit : Alex. Garrett, Ira Garrett 
and Wui. J. Points. 

JOHN CARR. 

Its first clerk was John Carr, a member of the family 
of that name in Albemarle, one of whom was Dabney 
Carr, the intimate friend of Jefferson, lie was the 
ancestor of the large family of Carrs in Albemarle 
county. 

The iirst circuit superior court of law was held in. 
Albemarle May 8th, 1809, Archibald Stuart (father of 
Hon. A. II. II. Stuart, of Augusta,) being judge. 

BENNETT TAYLOR. 

Bennett Taylor was elected clerk of the circuit court 
in 1870, and held the office from January 1st, 1871, to 
May 21)th, 1880, resigning for pretty much the same 
reasons given by his ancestor's kinsman, Nicholas — the 
falling off of the receipts in the office. 

Colonel Taylor is the son of J. C. R. Taylor and 
Patsey Jefferson, daughter of Colonel Thomas J. Pan- 
dolph. lie was educated at the University of Virginia, 
was lieutenant-colonel of the Xineteenth Virginia reg- 
iment, C. S. A., and is now a practicing attorney in 
Albemarle county. He married Lucy Colston, daugh- 
ter of Hon. Ed. Colston, of Berkeley county, aiui has 
six children. 

RICHARD W. DUKE 

was appointed clerk JSIay 29th, 1880, and in May, 
1887, unanimously elected clerk of the circuit court, 
leading the whole ticket some thirty-eight votes. He 



OLD 'MKGIMA CLERKS. 



is the only son of the late William J. Duke, of Albe- 
marle, who was tlie eldest son of Eicliai-d Duke, a 
prominent citizen of Albemarle. Richard Dnke was 
of the same family with Elizal)eth Duke, tlie wife of 
Xathaniel Bacon, the '' rebel," and a descendant of 
Colonel Henry Duke, of Governor Kicholson's council. 
Mr. Duke served in the late war as a private in Car- 
rington's company, Cutshaw's battalion of artillery, and 
has never before held any ])ublic office. He is un- 
married, as vet. 



ALEXANDRIA COUNTY. 



Alexandria was formed in 1840, from that portion 
of the District of Columbia which was in Virginia. 
The clerks have been : 

1. Jeiferson Tacey, from 1847 to December 

31, 1870, - - - - 23 years. 

2. George C. Seaton {colored !\ from Jan- 

uary 1, 1871, to August 30, 1872, - 2 years. 

3. David M. Hunter, from Sej)tember 1, 

1872, to December 30, 1873, - - - 2 years. 

4. Louis E. Payne, from January 1, 1873, 

to March 7, 1879, ------- 6 years. 

r>. Alexander Hunter, from March, 1879, to 

June 20, 1879, -------- 3 mos. 

6. Benjamin Austin, from July, 1879, to 

June, 1886, --------- 7 years. 

7. H. IL Young, from June 28, 1880, to 

July, 1887, --------- 1 year. 

And re-elected for six years in May, 1887. 



34 OLD VIK<;IXIA (I.KRKS. 



ALLEGHANY COUNTY 



Alleghany was formed in 1822, from Botetourt^ 
Batli, Eockbridge, Monroe and Greenbrier counties. 
The clerks have been : 

1 . Oli ver Callahan (county cou rt ), f i-om IVIay, 

1822, to June, 1831, --'---'- 9 years. 
(Circuit court from 1822 to 1831.) 

2. Andrew Hamilton (county court), from 

1822 to 1823, -------- 1 year. 

3. Heniali Ilutcliinson (county court), from 

1823 to 1825, ---*----- 2 years. 

4. Johnson Reynolds {j>ro fern, county court), 

from May 1825, to Octol)er, 1825, - 5 mos. 
*i. A ndrew Fudge (county and circuit courts), 

from 1831 to 1858, ------ 27 years. 

<•. Lewis P. Holloway (circuit and county 

courts), from 1858 to 18()2, - - - 4 years. 
7. AVilliam ]M. Scott (circuit and county 

{•(mrts). fi-om 1802 to 1805, - - - - 3 years, 
h. .I(>sc'|)li T. Fudge (circuit and county 

coui'ts), fi-om 18(:)5 to 18GD, - - - - 4 years. 
9. lleniT C. Yaughan (military aj^puint- 

ment), 1809 to 1870, ------ 1 year. 

10. .John li. Fharr, from 1870 to 1875, - - 5 years. 

11. .r. Jerome lIol)bs, from 1875 to 1887, - 12 years. 

And re-elected in May, 1S87. 

CLERKS OK ALLEGHANY COUNTY. 

Sketclies have been fui'nlshed me of eleven clerks 
of Alleirhanv. Of these, <»nlv M/w are deemed of 



OI.I) \'IR(rlMA CLKKKS. 35 

siifficifut interest and importiuice to publish, as the 
others held the ofhce so short a time that they eoiild 
not have made any special character as rA^y/.v, thuuo'h 
persons of the highest respectability in other respects. 

1. Oliver CaUajjluin (or (/ (^allagh(ni, as his father, 
Dennis Cf Calloghan, spelt his name, and had it printed 
on the sign, of the celebrated tavern that he kept so 
long, not far from the White Snlpluir S])rings, in 
Greenbrier conntv), was the first clerk of Alleghany, 
and thongh he had not been trained as one, yet his 
intelligence and business habits were such that he sOon 
made himself aerpiainted with the duties of the office, 
and finally became an efficient and useful clerk. After 
nine years of service, he I'enioved to Fincastle, where 
he conducted for several years the Finrnsfle Democrat 
newspaper. He then purchased a farm near Fincastle, 
on which he lived until the breakino: out of the late 
war, when he returned to Covington, and lived there 
for several year^. In attempting to cross James River, 
a few miles below Ccwino-ton, wlien it was much swol- 
len, IMr. Callaghan vras unfortunately (Jromned, leaving 
a large and highly respectable family of sons and 
daughters to mourn the loss of a devoted father. 

5. Andrew Fudo-e Avas eminently a self-made man. 
With very limited 0])portunities to obtain more than a 
plain English education, such was his energy and in- 
dustry, coupled with good, hard common sense, that he 
made his way in the world, and at the a^'e of twenty- 
five was elected commissioner of the revenue ; and 
having served one term, offered as a candidate for the 
clerkship, and was elected, or appointed, clerk of both 
the courts of Alleghany in the year 1831, and held the 
offices for twenty-seven years, when he declined a re- 



36 <'I.I) \JK(;lMA CLERKS. 

election. II«* was an efficient and useful clerk, highly 
esteemed by all, and is now "stout and hearty'' at the 
dire of eij?hty-four. 

6. Lewis P. IloUoway, who succeeded Mr. Fudge, 
had been deputy sluM'ilf, surs'eyor, justice of the peace, 
and representative of the county in tlie House of Del- 
egates. Ilavino- lost his mother in early childhuud, he 
was raised by his grandfather (John HoUoway), one of 
the few really well-educated men then living in the 
county of Alleghany. The old man was devoted to 
his graiulson, and sj^ent the la<t days of his life in 
training him up and superintending his education. 
Lewis P. IloUoway was tlie first clerk of the county 
who had the advantages of a liberal education. The 
old man was an elder in the Presbyterian church, and 
somewhat Puritanical in his notions, but his grandson 
was brim-full of wit, humor and fun ; a line talker, 
sprightly writer, and quite an orator. During his con- 
tinuance in the office of clerk (which he tilled very 
satisfactorily), he became the editor of The 'Covin fjtoii 
Times^ which was conducted \)y him with marked 
ability up to the breaking out of the late war, when he 
raised a company, known as ''The Alleghany Ilitles," 
was elected captain, and marched at once to Harper's 
Ferry; was in the tirst battle of X^i'^i^^i^i'^^ 'iii<^l ii"i every 
other battle fought by '* Stonewall " Jackson until cajJ- 
tured at the battle of Xerustown. From there he was 
taken to Fort Delaware, confined in a damp prison, 
contracted jmeumonia, and died, lie had the charac- 
ter of being a very "bright" Mason; and there was a 
magnetism about him that seemed to win all who made 
his acquaintance. His leth'rs from camp, addressed to 
liis father and other fi-iends, breathed not only a patriot- 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 61 

ism and devotion to lilterty and Yiroinia, hut were 
written in a style not unworthy of Patrick Henry ; 
and those to his female relatives with a tenderness 
and beauty which would have been creditable to the 
pen of Washington Irving. 

All of the clerks since the war have ])een young 
men, who shouldered their muskets and marched forth 
to aid their countrymen in carrying the flag of the 
Confederacy through the " shout, the shock, the groan 
of war," and returned to their homes with noble and 
manly records ; and they were all men of good moral 
character and liberal education. 

The present clerk has for twelve years discharged 
the duties of his office with great fidelity, and with an 
ability equal, if not superior, to that of any of his 
predecessors. 



AMELIA COUNTY. 



Amelia was formed in 1734, from parts of Prince 
George and Brunswick counties. Its clerks have been : 

1. Samuel Cobbs, from 1734 to 1757, - - 23 years. 

2. T. Griffin Peachv, from 1757 to 1791, - 34 vears. 

3. James Townes, from 1791 to 1810, - - 19 years. 

4. John Townes Leigh, from 1810 to 1838, 

and resigned, .--.--.- 28 years. 

5. Egbert Giles Leigh, from 1838 to 1854, 

and resigned, --------16 years. 



38 <»l.l) \ IH(rIMA CI.KHKS. 

6. E. IT. Coleman, froiri IS.")-!- to ISOO, and 

from 18 75 to 1887, - - - - - - i!7 years. 

And re-elected in May, 18S7, for bix years. 

1^^ During the j^eriod between 1869 and 1875 the 
clerks' othees were held by niilitary appointees (J. B. 
Clinton and J. II. Ilann). 



AMHERST COUNTY. 

Amherst was formed from Albemarle in 17<'>1. The 
clerks have been (of the county court): 

1. Georire Seaton, tVoni June, 1 7<V1, to June, 

17 76, ----------- 15 years. 

2. Edmund AVillcox, from .lune, 177<'>, to 

June, 1785, --------- 11> years. 

8. William Loving, from June, 1785, to 

Jnne, UiU, - - - - - - - - - 6 years. 

4. AVilliam S. Crawford, from 1791 to 1816, 25 years. 

5. John Camm, from 1816 to 1818, - - - 2 years. 

6. Arthur ?>. Davis, from 1818 to 1881, - 18 years. 

7. Eobert Tinsley, from 1881 to 1887, - - 6 years. 

8. Meredith Garland, from 1887 to 186-1, - 27 years, 
i). Leo Daniel, Jr., from 186-1- to 1869, - - 5 years. 

when he was removed by military au- 
thority, and 

10. A. F. Lucas was clerk from 1869 to De- 

cember, 1870, - - - 2 years. 

11. Charles L. Ellis, fn^m December, 187(>, to 

1st July, 1887, -------- 17 years. 

And was re-elected in May, 1887 for six years. 
No memo, of circuit court clerks. 



OLD VIKcilNIA CI.KKKS. 39 



APrO]\[ATTOX COUNTY. 



Appoiiiattox was formed in 1845, from Buckingham, 
Campbell, Charlotte and Prince Edward. The clerks 
have been : 

1. John T. Bocock, from May 1, 1845, to 

May — (died), - - - 1 mo. 

2. Henry F. Bocock, from June 5, 1845, to 

Jnne 30, I860, -------- 15 years. 

3. George T. Peers, fi-oni July 1, 1800, to 

June 30, 1887, - - - 27 years. 

1^^ There was a military a})pointment of clerk in 
1869, but he never came to the office, and G* T. Peers 
remained, did all the business, and received all the 
emoluments of the office — a somewhat rare instance of 
liberality on the part of the appointee! 



AUGUSTA COUNTY 



Augusta was formed in 1738, from Orange. Pre- 
vious to that time, all that portion of Virginia lying 
west of the Blue Pidge was embraced in Orange, but 
in the fall session of the House of Burgesses it was 
divided into the counties of Frederick and Augusta. 
Frederick was bounded by the Potomac on the north, 
the Blue Pidge on the east, and a line to be run from 
the head spring of Hedgman to head spring of the 
Potomac on the south and west ; the remainder of 



40 OLD VlK(iINIA CLKKKS- 

Virgiiiia, lying west of the J>lue Kidge, to constitute 
Augusta. This immense territory, bounded on the 
north by the Ohio river, and on the west by the Mis- 
sissippi, now embraces several large States?. 

Its first court was held in 17-1-5, and the clerks liave 
been : 

1. Jolni Madison, from 1745 to 1779, - - 84 years.' 
|^""IIe was the father of Bishop !^[adison. 

2. Alex. McClanahan, from 1779 to 1702, - U years. 
l^. Jacob Kinney, from 1703 to ISOU, - - 7 years. 

4. (Iiesley Kinney, from 1800 to 1812, - 12 years. 

5. Erasmus Stribline:, from 1812 to 1831, - 19 years. 
(k »Ieffersoii Kinney, from 1831 to 1858, - 27 years. 

7. John 1). Imboden, from 1858 to 1864, - (5 years. 

8. AVin. A. Burnett, from 1864 to 1887, - 23 years. 
And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

I^^ Samuel }\]ine, who could take the iron-clad 
oath, qualified as clerk in 1869-70, and gave bond, but 
the whole business was conducted by his deputy, W. 
A. Burnett, who was elected in 1870. 

NOTKS FROM WADDILl/s ANNALS Op^ AUUrSTA COUNTY. 

1777.— A high court of chancery established at 
Stannton, with Juthjen AVythe, E. Pendleton, and John 
P>lair. Afterwards reduced to one chancellor over the 
whoU' State, who was Chancellor Wythe. 

1779. — District court of law established, with two 
judges iji each <listrict. 

1S02. — Thciv wTM'e foni- chancery courts established 
in A iiginia. 

1^09. — Cii'cnit coni'ts of law established, constituting 
the general coui't, whicli met in Richmond annually. 



OLD VIKGINIA CLEKKS. 



41 



1831. Circuit superior courts of law and chancerj 

established. James Lyle was the first clerk of the 
district court, from 1779 to 1792, when he was suc- 
ceeded by John Coalter, afterwards Judge Coalter of 
the Court of Appeals. The third clerk was Micajah 
Coalter, and Chesley Kinney was the fourth clerk, who 
was also the first clerk of the circuit court of law, from 
1809 to 1828. The second clerk of this court was 
N. C. Kinney, from 1828 to 1831, who was also the 
first clerk of the circuit superior court of law and 
chancery, from 1831 to — , about twenty years. 

The first clerk of the chancery court, established in 
1802, was Henry J. Peyton; the second clerk was 
Wm. S. Eskridge. 

REMARKABLE FAMILY OF CLERKS A^'D THEIR 
CONNECTIONS. 

Jacob Kinney was the clerk of the county court of 
Augusta county from 1793 to 1800. He was the 
father of the wife of Erasmus Stribling, of whom 
was born a large family, and among them was Dr. 
Francis Taliaferro Stribling, one of the most dis- 
tinguished men in the medical profession in this 
country. He was for many years the chief physi- 
cian and superintendent of the Western Lunatic Asy- 
lum, and died in the year 1871, occupying the same 
position. This institution enjoyed the reputation, dur- 
ing the time it was under his control, of being the most 
admirably organized and the best governed insane asylum 
in the country. It led the way, under his benignant 
influence, to the introduction of the humane system of 
treatment of these unfortunates. His skill in the treat- 
ment of the diseases which cause insanity, and his con- 



42 OLD VIRGINIA CLJ^RKS. 

trol over the patients in the asyhim, were wonderful. 
He was a small man, hut he could govern the largest 
and strongest, even when violent, by the glance of his 
eye, the tones of his voice, his genial manner and wo- 
manly tenderness, and indomitable firmness and cour- 
age. Never, but once, was lie seriously assaulted by a 
lunatic ; and then the patient liad, contrary to orders, 
gone to town, and was found by Dr. Stribling in a 
jeweler's shop, and almost at once, and under a violent 
impulse of insane rage, the deranged man drew from his 
pocket a knife, sharpened to the keenest edge, and with 
it struck at Dr. S. He threw u]) his right arm, and 
received the blade of the knife between the elbow and 
the shoulder. Mr. Fuller, the keeper of the shop, 
sprang across the counter, seized the lunatic, and thrust 
him out of the door. The blade was left in the arm. 
With the skill of a master of his profession. Dr. S. saw 
at a glance that the knife had cut the cliief artery of 
the arm, and that his only ]iope of life was to keej) it 
as it was until the artery could be properly compressed. 
With perfect coolness and self-possession, he walked 
across and down Xew street to the reception-room of 
the Virginia Hotel, holding his arm up, and requesting 
physicians to be summoned. Soon after entering the 
rece])tion-room a traveler came in witli large leggings 
on, fastened by uncommonly heavy and strong strings 
or braids. At once Dr. 8. requested the gentleman 
to take liis legging-strwv^^ off, and another friend 
to cut his coat-sleeve open up to a point above that 
where tlie kniiVljiade was sticking. The legging- 
strings were doul)led together, and, l)y ])r. S.'s di- 
rections, were knotted and triple-knotted, until the 
knot was capable of direct pressure upon the severed 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 43 

artery. lie then instructed the gentleman how to 
place the knot above the severed artery, and, pressing 
it with all his strength in and upon the artery just 
above the knife-blade, he tied it tight, and drawing 
it with great force fastened it. The Doctor then 
requested the friendly stranger to draw the knife- 
blade out, and to use all his force in pressing upon the 
cord-knot. The blood gushed forth fearfully, but just 
at that time some physicians came, and better com- 
presses were applied, and the flow of blood was stopped. 
The next difficulty was to take up and fasten the artery. 
At that time our medical men were not very skillful sur- 
geons, and the doctors present were so much agitated that 
they could not exert even the skill they really possessed 
with effect until, under the guidance of Dr. Stribling's 
own directions, the track of the artery was traced and 
followed, and the end of it was found and securely 
fastened. Of course, the strain upon his constitution 
and strength vras great, but he rallied and came out of 
the trial with a disabled arm, which, however, he con- 
tinued to use until his death. This incident showed 
that he had inherited the blood of a race of cool heads 
and courageous hearts. 

Chesley Kinney became clerk of the county court 
of Augusta count}" in 1SC>0, and continued to discharge 
the duties until July 1st, 1812, when, having been 
stricken with paralysis, he retired from the office. I 
remember very well having ''■ ^^n Mr. Chesley Kinney, 
"then an old man, bed-ridden and unable to move by 
reason of the paralysis. According t^-my recollection, 
he suffered in bed for nearly twenty years, when he 
died. A very amusing story is told of him, which was 
doubtless true. A man named Thomas Balsley owed 



#4 OLD VIKOINIA CLERKS. 

him a number of clerk's tickets, which had been stand- 
ing unpaid until they were barred by the statute of 
limitations ; and Balsley refused to pay them, relying 
on the statute. At that time, a simple verbal acknowl- 
edgment of a debt was enough to lift the bar. So, one 
day Thomas Balsley was called upon to answer certain 
questions in court. Before doing so, he had to be 
sworn. As he approached the clerk's table, Mr. Kin- 
ney whispered to his deputy, " Listen and remember." 
Balsley walked up ; he laid his hand on the Book ; the 
clerk, with deep, sepulchral tones, solemnly looking at 
Balsley as if he was about to devour him, said : " You, 
Thomas Balsley, do solemnly swear, in the presence of 
Almighty God and upon this Holy Evangely, that you 
will true answers make to such questions as may be 
propounded to you." Balsley kissed the Book ; and 
Kinney, leaning foi'ward, while the deputy was listen- 
ing, in low tones vsaid, '' Don't you owe me $8.78 for 
clerk's tickets 'i Balsley treml)led, and said, " Yes, I 
do." Kinney then said, " That will do for fjie. Now 
step forward and answer the courfs questions." A 
constable soon had Balsley in hand, and he was com- 
pelled to pay tlie just debt. 

On the 21)th day of August, 1812, Erasnms Strib- 
ling, the son-in-law of Jacob Kinney, became clerk of 
the county court of Augusta county, and contiimed to 
fill the office until July, 1831. 

On the 1st day of July, 1831, Jeiferson Kinney, a 
fion of Chesley Kinney, succeeded Erasmus Stribling 
as clerk of the county court of Augusta county, and 
held the office until July 1st, 1858, when he was suc- 
ceeded by John D. Imboden. 

AVilliam A. Burnett, who was trained in office b/ 



OIJ) VIKaiNIA CLKRKS. 45 

Jefferson Kinney, succeeded General Tniboden, during 
the war. and is still the admirable clerk of the county 
court. 

Nicholas C Kinney, another son of the old clerk, Ches- 
ley Kinney, was appointed clerk of the circuit court on 
the 24th of March, 185S. The court at that time was 
called the circuit suj)ej-ior court of law and chancery 
for the county of Augusta. Nicholas C. Kinney held 
the office, under Judge Lucas P. Thompson, till Feb- 
ruary, 1859, about which time he died, being still the 
incumbent of the office. lie was succeeded by his son, 
Alexander F. Kinney, who held the office until after 
the w^ar was ended, when Jose]ih X. Ryan was elected 
and still liolds the clerkship. 

This survey of these offices and their incumbents 
since 1793, is full of interest and instruction. The 
Kinneys were, as it were, born clerks. The qualities 
and attributes which make up the characters of good 
clerks seemed to have l)een hereditary and belonged to 
the race. They all wrote well ; they had memories un- 
surpassed in tenacity and accuracy ; and were methodi- 
cal and orderly, and were as faithful and true to their 
official duties as any men who ever filled offices of any 
sort in the Valley or the Stjite. They enjoyed the un- 
wavering confidence of the people and of the bar and 
the bench. I have had occasion to run back over the 
records of l)Oth courts and to know much of them, yet 
I know of no case of serious mistake made by eitlier 
of them. Nicholas C. Kinney was surpassed by no 
clerk in the State of Virginia as a lucid writer and an 
accurate draftsman of decrees and orders of the court. 
Being once told what, in general, the decree or judg- 
ment should in substance be, he could put it in form, 



46 OLD VIKGIiMA CI.EKKS. 

in the very best style; and by his skill and talent in 
composition and systematic and methodical arrange- 
ment of pleadings, orders and decrees, he became a 
great helper of the bench and the 1 );i i-. I le was a patient 
laborer, a most popular officer, and as true a friend as 
man ever had. His memory was marvelous ; and this 
valuable faculty has descended to his cliildren and 
grand-children to a remarkable degree. I will give one 
illustration of the kind of memory he ])ossessed. I 
was once engaged, as counsel of certain parties, in an 
escheat case, in the court of appeals at Lewisburg. The 
case was involved in great obscurity and uncertainty. 
In the record reference was made to an old chancery 
cause, supposed to have been in the chancery court at 
Staunton. 1 deemed it im})ortant to hnd that record, 
if practicable. The short style of the case was not 
given, the substance only of the subject of the litiga- 
tion was vaguely referred to. To find a record of such 
a character, among the rubbish of the old chancery 
court, I considered very doubtful, but I determined to 
make the efhu-t. I found Mr. Kinney at his table, as 
usual, hard at work. This was about the year 1850 ; 
it may have been a few years earlier or later. I told 
Mr. Kinney as much as I knew of tlie case, which wsjs 
very little, and asked him if he had any recollection 
about it. He liad been in the office along time, per- 
haps from 1820, as a deputy clerk. When I ])ut the 
question to him about the case, he paused, ])ut his lin- 
ger to his forehead for a moment or two, and then said, 
"yes, I remember all about it; 1 entered the final de- 
cree in 1822, I think, and I am sure I can find the 
record." lie stated its short style with promptness and 
accuracy; got upon his step-ladders, and, in a few mo- 



(»I.l) VIK'(;IN1A CLEKKS, 4T 

rnents, handed nie down the bundle of papers contain- 
iiifr the record I was in search of. This record was 
vahiable to nie, cliieliy for the survey of a large body 
of land in Kanawha county, now in West Virginia, ex- 
tending to the Ohio river, made by General Washing- 
ton, upon a personal survey. The land in controversy 
was included in the AVashington survey, and was so 
identitied as to enable me to win my case against the 
Commonwealth, then represented by the attorney-gen- 
eral. Mr. Kinney told me that he had not thought of 
the case siiuie he entered the iinal decree ; and how he 
came to remember the transaction he could not explain. 
His grandson, William (1. Kinney, now lives in Staun- 
ton, lie was at one time a clerk in my law office. His 
only fault, as a clerk, was the accuracy and tenacity of 
his memory; and to this day, although he has been for 
ten or fifteen years in other and more lucrative busi- 
ness, he can find any paper which may have been mis- 
placed or lost sight of by the members of my firm or 
by our clerk, if the lost or misplaced paper liad been 
in the office during his clerkship, or he had ever had 
charge of it. It is a great gift, and is, to a greater or 
less degree, a marked characteristic of the whole family. 
AH of the children of Chesley Kinney, the elder, 
are dead. William, Mcholas C, Jefferson, and Ches- 
ley, Jr., left families, who are somewhat scattered 
abroad, a number of them, or their descendants, how- 
ever, Kving in Staunton. Archibald Kinney, another 
son of Chesley Kinney, and Mrs. Craig, his only 
daughter, died without issue. These men— including 
Erasmus Stribhng— constituted a class of citizens of 
great conservative influence in the community, and I 
verily believe they contributed largely to the tone and 



48 OI.I) VIK(.1MA CI.KRKS. 

clmnictt'i-i.sticrt uf the people of tliis county. They 
were honored, followed, looked up to for advice and 
guidance, and swayed the public sentiment and opinion 
of the county in favor of right, justice and civil integ- 
rity ; and they helped greatly to make the citizens of 
old Augusta what they certainly once were, and I trust 
will ever be — that is, reverential respecters of law and 
order, and pronioters of priv^ate honor and ynibhc wel- 
fare. I could mention many instances of their great 
influence as leaders of public opinion, an<l of their 
marked success in guiding it aright. Deaths and dis- 
persions have broken up the brotherhood, and the in- 
fluence once so powerful and salutary is dissolved and 
gone. Jefferson Kinney, the clerk of the county court, 
was one of the most patient and methodical workers I 
ever saw, and he found his patience and systematic 
methods of managing his valuable office very profita]>le 
to him. Ilis son iVrchibald and family still live on 
the old farm, the homestead of the family, near Staun- 
ton. His son-in-law, S. D. Whitcomb, Esq., is one of 
the first t(>[)ographical civil engineers in the South, and 
is surrounded Ijy a family in which are found all the 
virtues of the race. Jefferson Kinney was one of the 
most agreeable talkers and anecdote recmiteurs in our 
town — qualities in strange contrast with the tread-mill 
style of his silent, systematic drudgery in his office. 
lie was a true and conscientiinis man, a most loving 
and aifectiiMiate lnis])and an<l father, and a citizen with- 
out reproacli. None of the Kinneys in early life 
became coimniniicants of the church; amid the shad- 
ows of (k'clining yeai-s tliey made their profession of 
faith. Ihit from 18:iS down, they were the very bul- 
warks and supports of the Episcopal chui'ch, and by 



OM> VIRGINIA (;LKHK.S. 49 

tlieir iiifiueiice and lai'ge moneyed contributions, sus- 
tained it as if the J had been confirmed members of 
the same ; and they all lived to see their labors of love 
crowned with abundant blessings, and to shai-e in its 
benedictions. 

I have said nothing of William and Cliesle}' Kinney, 
who were lawyers, or of their families, or of Archibald 
Kinney, who was a non-professional business man, or 
of Mrs. Craig, the sister of the family, as this commu- 
nication is confined to clerks and their belongings. 

In connection with the clerks of our courts, I deem 
it just to say a few^ words of Erasmus Stribling, who 
was, by connection, of the family, but not a blood rela- 
tive. 

He was a man of rare intelligence and geniality of 
nature, a fine talker, and warm-hearted and devoted in 
his friendships. Dui-ing the time, at least the earlier 
part of the time, he held the ofiice of county clerk, he 
w^as one of the foremost men of the county in wealth, 
property, possessions and influence, and no one was 
more cordially beloved by all in the community than 
he. His heart was filled with gentle, almost womanly, 
affections, and he scattered his favors and kindnesses 
around him with a lavish hand. May I be pardoned 
for relating an incident equally creditable to him and 
to the recipient of his kindness ? During the time in 
which the collection of the United States direct tax was 
to be made, after the war of 1812-15, Michael Garber 
was the United States marshal for tlie district, and had 
the power to appoint deputy collectors. John Church- 
man, a youth, not yet of age, had asked for a place. 
Mr. Garber agreed to appoint him provided he could 
give the twenty thousand dollar bond. John had his 



60 OLD VIRGINIA CLEBKS. 

bond prepared, and liad signed it Jiimself^ but he eould 
get no one to become his surety. Monday, the last day^ 
had come, and about noon John sat down on the steps 
of the old Bell Tavern in sorrowful dejection, having 
given up all hope of making this favorable start in life. 
As he sat there in grief, Erasmus Stribli ng passed by. 
and, seeing the posture of John, or Johnny, as he called 
him, he stopped and asked him wliat was the matter. 
Young Cliurchman, gulping down his emotions, told 
his story. Stril)ling asked for liis Ijoiid and his pen 
and ink, and wroti' his own name to the seal, next to 
John's, and then said '' Johnny, come with me;" and 
he took him around one square; and when lie reached 
the court-house the bond had names appen<led to it 
representing nearly a half milHon of dollars. Of 
course Mr. (larber was satisfied ; John Churchman be- 
came deputy, and in that otlice laid the loundjition of 
the large fortune he made. 

Years rolled on. Chui'chman hccame I'icli and richer, 
and Stribling became end)arrasse(l aiid impoverished, 
poor and poorer, until at last the old man was reduced 
to most straightened circumstances. He conceived the 
idea that if he could raise a few hundred dollars he 
would go to Texas and make a fresh vstart in life. One 
day he met John Churchman on the stinn^t. and asked 
him for the loan of two hundred and tifty to three 
hundred dollars. Churchman almost gruttty refused. 
But said ]\rr. Stribling, "I will make the debt perfectly 
safe by giving my son Frank as my surety." ''I wont 
take him," said Churchman. Stribling coidd not help, 
in mind, i'-oini'- hack thirtv-odd vears and wouderino; 
how Churchman could treat him so. At length he 
said, "I am soi-ry I asked y<»u," and was turning away, 



OLD VIKUINIA CLERKS. 51 

when Churclmiaii stopped him, at the same time pull- 
ing out his old-time long pocket-book, filled with bank 
notes, and said, "■Jlere is my pocket-book; it contains 
a large amount of money ; take out of it just Avhat 
you want, and may it do you as much good as your 
kindness once did me. All I liave 1 owe to you." 
Stribling wa^ miicli affected. Poor as he was, he was 
too proud and full of self-respect to take more than he 
thought he could re])ay, and was content witli tlie tln-ee 
hundi'ed dollars. 

If the departed are permitted to review such scenes 
as this, these two worthy men must have had much 
pleasure in reviving the memory of these incidents. 

The memories connected with these influential men 
and faithful officers are gradually fading away ; few 
remember them as thev were fifty or sixtv vears ag'o 
Still their works remain ; the example they set to all 
of fidelity in the puldic trusts they filled still shines 
forth in the acts of tlieir followers. 

Hugh W. Sheffey. 

Alexander McClanahan (or McClenegan, as it was 
sometimes written,) the second clerk of Augusta county 
court, was the son of Eobert McClanahan, Avho came 
from the north of Ireland, and settled in Auo-nsta 
about the year 1740, Alexander being then a boy. 
Another son of Kobert, named Blair McClanahan, set- 
tled in Philadelphia and became a wealthy merchant, 
and member of Congress after the adoption of the 
Federal Constitution. He was a zealous politician and 
intolerant Federalist. One of his daughters married 

Keid, who was a nephew of Dr. Franklin. Eobert 

McClanahan's wife, and the mother of Alexander and 



52 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

others, was a daui>,liter of Alexander Breckenridge, who 
also settled in Augusta about the year 1740. lie 
(Alexander B.) was the grandfather of John Brecken- 
ridge of Kentucky, and of General James Breckenridge 
of B(^>tetourt. He lived only a few years after settling 
in Augusta, and was one of the original members (per- 
haps a ruling elder) of Tinkling Spring church. Bobert 
McClanahan Avas appointed high sheriff in 17-!:'.\ and 
throughout his wliole life was a prominent man. He 
died in 1791, leaving four sons, Alexander, Bobert, 
John and William. Robert was a physician, and .mar- 
ried a daughter of Thomas Lewis, who was the son of 
John Lewis, the first settler near the present town of 
Staunt(»n. Robert afterwards removed to that part of 
Botetoui't which is now known as Greenbrier, and was 
the captain of a Botetourt company, in Colonel Flem- 
inof's reiriment, and was killed at the famous battle of 
Point Pleasant, in 1774. John McClanahan was a 
lieutenant in Boucpiette's expedition in 1704, and died 
in early life. William settled on the Roanoke river, in 
Botetourt county, and was the father of Colonel Elijah 
McClanahan, Colonel James ]\[cClanahan, and others 
of that family. 

At August court, 1703, Alexaiider McClanalicm 
qualified as captain of militia, and he commanded a 
company in Bouquette's expedition in 1704. For some 
years afterwards he lived on a farm, l)ut was always 
active in lighting the Indians, who were often very 
troublesome in those early days of the settlement of 
Augusta. He was one of the justices on the bench at 
the date of August 22, 1774, and soon afterwards joined 
the Augusta company. Colonel Charles Lewis' regiment, 
which bore an active part in the battle of Point Pleas- 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 53 

ant, in October, 1774. We find him on the bench 
again in November, 1774, and on the 20th of March, 
1775, he was on the committee of freeholders to draw 
up instructions to the delegates from Augusta county 
to the convention of 1775, by which he was appointed 
lieutenant-colonel of the Seventh remment, and he was 
at the battle of Great Bridge, December 9, 1775. In 
1776 he served under General Andrew Lewis at, or near, 
Williamsburg, and on the 5th of May, 1770, his name 
appears on the " orderly book" of General Lewis' com- 
mand of that portion of the army stationed at or near 
Williamsburg, publislied by Charles Campbell, the his- 
torian, in 1860, as Colonel McClanahan. It is not known 
at what time he retired from the army. There is some 
confusion in the records of Augusta as to the exact time 
when his service as clerk commenced, and also as to 
its termination, but it probably commenced in 1779 
and ended in 1 792. One of his deputies was J. Lyle, Jr., 
who was afterwards the first clerk of the district court 
of Staunton. He belonged to the Rockbridge family, 
married a Miss Baker of the lower valley, and left a 
daughter, who married Abram Smitli, of Rockingham. 
The time of Alexander McClanahan's death is somewhat 
uncertain, as he left no will, and there appears to have 
been no administration on his estate, from which we 
may infer that he left no estate to be administered on. 

His wife was a Miss Shelton, sister of Patrick Henry's 
first wife. He left a son (John), who died unmarried, 

and two daughters, one of whom married Abney, 

and the other Austin, both of whom left a num- 
ber of descendants. 

[I^^The above was furnished by Mr. Joseph A. 
WaddelL] 



54: OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

Joseph X. Kyan, the oldest son of Thomas W. aiid 
Martlia (Trout) Eyan, was l)orn at Port Kepublic, 
Rockiii<2jhain county, A^irginia, on the 2Tth day of June, 
1840. Since 1851 liis home has been in Augusta 
county, and in Staunton, where lie married Matilda 
E. Francisco, May 24, 18G7, Eev. William E. Baker 
being the officiating minister. They have two sons, 
Cameron C. and Willie F., and two daughters, Mary 
O. and Margaret L. The wife of Mr. Eyan was born 
at the Warm Si)rings, Bath county, Virginia, and came 
with her parents, C. C. and IMai-garet (Hyde) Francisco, 
to Augusta county, in 1859. Captain Eyan's paternal 
grandfather was of Irish birth, and emigrated to 
America, settling in Baltimore about the year 1800. 
Here he married and reared a family, one of his sons, 
Thomas, being the father of Captain Eyan. He left 
Maryland early in life, and after a sojourn at Luray, 
Page county, settled in Eockingham county about 
1839, where he married and had a family of eight chil- 
dren. He died August 2, 1883, and his wife died in 
December, 1859. Captain Eyan entered the Confede- 
rate service at Staunton, April 17, 18G1, as private in 
the West Augusta Guards, afterwards Company L, 
Fifth Virginia infantry, Stonewall brigade. He was 
made orderly sergeant in April, 1862 ; second lieuten- 
ant in the following summer, and Urst lieutenant in 
November following. In June, 1803, he received his 
commission as captain of the company, but was not 
again in active service after the battle of Chancellors- 
ville. He was slightly wounded at Carneysville, West 
Virginia ; was in every battle of the regiment from 
Falling Waters to Chancellorsville, where he lost his 
right leg, and was struck in the left leg and breast by a 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 55 

fragment of shell, unfitting liini for further service in 
the field. In May, 1864, he was elected clerk of the 
circuit court of Augusta county, and by successive 
elections has retained the office to the present time, 
(1887) and was re-elected for a term of six years in 
May, 1887. This is no small testimony to the efficiency 
and ability with which he has discharged the duties of 
his office, which is one of the most important in the 
State, and has been filled by a long line of distinguished 
clerks. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF HENRY JAMES PEYTON. 

Henry James Peyton^ who was clerk of the chancery 
court of the Staunton district from 1802 to 1816, was 
born in Mil ford, Prince William county, about the year 
1768. He was descended from a staunch, true and 
gallant race, long seated in the colony of Virginia — a 
race which had, previous to the emigration of two of 
its off-shoots to the colony of Virginia, influenced 
English society through successive generations, by its 
genius, wisdom and virtue, till the name thus eminent 
became at last, through the experience of mankind, 
presumptive of worth in the individual who bore it. 
His ancestor, John Peyton, was a native of Bury St. 
Edmonds, l^orfolk, in England, whose taste for cos- 
mography and maritime adventure led him to visit 
Virginia in 1624. After his return to England, a little 
later, he sailed for the Levant, and became a pioneer 
and explorer of the East Indies and China, amidst 
hardships and suffering happily unknown to modern 
travelers. In these enterprises he was associated with 
Sir Thomas Smythe, Garway, Lord ^N^ortli and other 
merchants trading with the East. Twenty years later 



66 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

he came again to Yirginia, bringing with liini consid- 
erable substance, large experience and much energy, 
and, in 1644, settled on an estate called "Acquia," in 
Westmoreland county, where he spent the evening of 
his days in repose, and, dying al)out 1658, left two sons, 
Henry and Valentine, to whom he bequeathed, in his 
last will, admitted to record October 20th, 1659, one- 
half of his no inconsidei-able estate. From this brief 
reference to his family, it will be seen, from an exami- 
nation of the family records, that he was the grandson 
of Sir Thomas Peyton, member of Parliament for Dun- 
wich in 1557, and a cousin of the immortal poet, 
Thomas Peyton, of Lincoln's Inn, barrister at law, and 
author of ^^The Glasse of Thne^^ &c., published in 
London in 1620, which scholars of the present day 
recognize as the original of " Paradise Lost." 

While birth conveys no merit, there is a moral power 
in such an ancestry as 11. J. Peyton's. No man can 
fail to feel gratified that his forefathers have displayed 
the virtues of honesty, thrift, manliness and more or 
less the Christian graces. It fosters no mistaken pride 
to record the names and deeds of deserving men, but 
gives a healthy encouragement to the young to emulate 
their examples. If our ancestors have not always 
learnt to be great, how animating, how touching, to 
know that they have continued to be good, or, as it has 
been well said, no virtuously disposed mind can look 
back upon a long line of truly venerable ancestors, 
without feeling his motive to a virtuous life strength- 
ened. He can scarcely help feeling that it is not for 
him to bring the first disgrace U2)on the lineage. It 
will, moreover, lead him to reflect that his posterity 
also will be looking back and comparing his life with 



OLD VIRGINIA CLP:KKS. 57 

that of his progenitors. And wlio, in such a case, can 
fail to feel as a fatlier in the presence of his oifsj^ring. 

The subject of this sketch, to come down nearer to 
our times, was the son of Captain Valentine Peyton 
and brother of Colonel Henry Peyton, both of Kevo- 
lutionary fame, the latter of whom married Mary Gal- 
laher, and left, among his descendants, the late Judge 
James E. Brown, of AVytlie, the distinguished Colonel 
John B. Baldwin, Mrs. Alexander II. II. Stuart, of 
Staunton, Mrs. James M. Ranson and Mrs. C. J. Stu- 
art and others in oui- State, of varied talents a-iid exten- 
sive acquirements. 

Shortly after the close of the war, in 1783, Captain 
Valentine Peyton reinoved to an estate he had pur- 
chased in Frederick county, and there passed the rest 
of his life, engaged in cultivating and improving his 
lands and taking an active part in county affairs. lie 
possessed all the noble instincts of the country gentle- 
man, and was one of the most useful, respected and 
influential men in Frederick. He left two sons, John 
S. Peyton and Henry James. From John S. is de- 
scended Judge William L. Clark, ( judge of the county 
court of Frederick in 1888), who married Mary, a 
daughter of Chapman J. Stuart, by his wife Margaret, 
a daughter of Judge Briscoe G. Baldwin, and they 
have issue, a large and interesting family. 

His son, Henry James, received his early education 
in Winchester, and was afterwards, between the years 
1782 and 1789, entered as a student at Washington 
College, Lexington, Virginia. At this college, the 
character which he maintained through life was fully 
developed. There was much of practical, sound sense, 
much of agreeable liveliness and those invaluable qual- 



58 OLD VIRGIIflA CLERKS. 

itiep wliicli make the young collegian at once the favorite 
-and the guide of his contemporaries ; which obtain the 
approl)ation and confidence of those in authority and 
■connect, by kindly feelings, the professor and his schol- 
iirs. In case of any misunderstanding, Henry Peyton 
would have been the student through whom his college- 
mates would have communicated with the faculty, and 
the faculty would have rejoiced that such an individual 
had been .selected. At college he worked hard and was 
successful in the pursuit of knowledge, and was known 
to be kind, generous, firm, and of undeviating recti- 
tude. 

Among those in the college, between 1782 and 1789, 
tlie catalogue of Washington and Lee University shows 
the names of the following, who became aftewards 
prominent : Rev. Archibald Alexander, D. D., General 
Boyd, Judge Coalter, John Johnston, M. D., Colonel 
James IMcDowell, Governor Iloane, Judge Brown and 
Judge Alexander Stuart. To have stood out promi- 
nent among such young men was, in itself, no mean 
evidence of his superior parts. His manner of life 
was quiet and respectable, the fi'iend of some few stu- 
dious persons of his own habits, but known to many 
and respected by all. 

After completing his studies, he returned to Freder- 
ick county, married Miss Hurd, by whom he left two 
<jhildren, took possession of an estate devised to him by 
his father and pursued the life of a Virginia planter, 
in easy and independent circumstances. With this po- 
sition he was content, and the position of a country 
gentleman, in those days, in A^irginia, was one of the 
most respected and enviable that a man could occupy. 
Sucli a man, in such a station, is a real blessing to his 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 5^ 

coTiinuinity, uniting, as he does, to tlie cliaracteristics 
of the cultivated landed proprietor and country gen- 
tleman those of a good neighbor and a good magistrate. 
He received his appointment as clerk from Judge 
Brown, one of his college friends, and who married his- 
cousin, Fannie Peyton, daughter of Colonel Henry Pey- 
ton, and wdio was, at the time of his election as chancel- 
lor, practising law at Morefield, Hardy county. The 
district over which John Brown presided was of wide 
territorial extent, cov^ering the whole of what was then 
known as Western Virginia, or the Yalley and the 
entire State of West Yirgiiiia. Thus Staunton, where 
the sessions of the court were held, was the most im- 
portant point for tlie legal profession in Yirginia. This 
fact accounts for the possession by this quiet village for 
many years of tlie n\ost learned and ablest bar in the 
State, among whom, as residents, may be mentioned 
the following, whose names are as familiar as household 
words in Yirginia : Daniel Slieifey, John Howe Peyton, 
Cha})man Johnson and Briscoe G. Baldwin. Among 
the visiting lawyers were William Wirt, H. St. G. 
Tucker, John Wiekham, B. W. Leigh, Philip P. Bar- 
bour and others. On his election, Judge Brown, who 
well knew liow far the sterling merits of Henry J. 
Peyton raised him above the standai'd of ordinary men, 
and what were his peculiar talents for such an office, 
appointed him clerk of his court. The station was 
accepted, and Mr. Peyton removed to Staunton in 1802. 
Here he lived until 1816, when he resigned the clerk- 
ship and returned to Frederick. It is not known what 
motives caused him to take this course, but as he was 
now near fifty years of age ; had grown — according to 
Mr. George Fuller, living in Staunton in 1888, in his 



60 (H.D YIKGINLA CLERKS. 

eiglity-sixtli year, and wlio remembers Mr. Peyton per- 
fectly well — quite corpulent, and his giving way wonld 
lead to the ])romotion of a young friend and connec- 
tion, AVilliain S. Eskridge, a meritorious young man 
of small means, who had recently married Judge 
Brown's daughter, Margaret, it is the opinion of the 
writer that Mr. Peyton was actuated, not so much by 
the growing irksomeness of his clerical duties, as by a 
desire to advance the interest of a young connection to 
whom he was much attached. To a man of his soul, an 
act of this nature gave him more true happiness than 
tlie possession of any office whatever. Such acts prove 
the existence and value of true friendship. 

In his new home, Mr. Peyton was soon as well known 
and as highly respected and esteemed as in his old one. 
Kind of heart, unostentatious, charitable and public- 
spirited, he attracted the notice and acquired the friend- 
ship of all those whose friendship was worth having. 
As a business man he was orderly, methodical and per- 
severing in his work ; every hour had its duties ; every 
day its business, and yet recreation and innocent pleas- 
ures were not denied their hour, so that his life moved 
on with that well-regulated spirit of diligence which 
makes duty the rule of life. He took an active part 
in all public improvements, especially those which 
would promote the comfort and happiness of the un- 
fortunate : visited the jails, alms-houses and asylums, 
and sought to better the condition of the inmates by 
securing them more light, purer air and better water, 
and to i)reserve them from fevers and other diseases 
by these means and thorough drainage. 

Ilis tastes were social ; he was fond of company, 
and the late Colonel William M. Pevton informed the 



OLD VIRGINIA CLP:RKS. 61 

writer, many years ago, tliat he kept open lioiise and 
that his dinners were famous. 

In person he was, according to Mr. George P\iller, 
tall and strongly built, and, as he grew older, becoming 
quite corpulent ; his complexion was ruddy, his fea- 
tures large, with a striking general appearance. His 
eye of brown was keen and j^enetrating ; his gait quick 
and animated, his manners gentle and sweet. He was 
punctual to a minute in keeping his engagements, and 
was often forced to leave company in the midst of an 
interesting anecdote or argument, so that his habit, in 
this respect, was said to amount to a virtue. All of 
his dealings, public and private, were marked by the 
most inflexible integrity ; he would not admit that there 
was any middle course between i*ight and wrong. It 
was through liis eftorts and those of the late Judge 
Archibald Stuart and John H. Peyton, that Mr. King 
was ordained deacon of the Episcopal church in Staun- 
ton, in 1811, which led to the re-oj^ening of the church 
in 1820, under Kev. Daniel Stephens, D. D., a zealous 
and devoted pastor, who won the love and confidence 
of his congregation. In a word, Henry Peyton was a 
large-minded and large-hearted man, true to his friends 
and faithful to his duties, private and public, and though 
he had so modest an estimate of his abilities as to style 
himself a plodder, he was an infinitely wiser and better 
man than thousands whom the world honors with the 

name of great. 

John L. Peytox. ^ 



62 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

BATH COUNTY 



Bath was formed in 1791, from Augusta, Botetourt 
and Greenbrier. Tlie clerks have been : 

1. Charles Cameron, from 1791 to 1811, - 28 years. 

2. Charles L. Francisco, deputy of Cameron 

from 1801 to 1814, and clerk of county 
court from 1814 to June, 1838, in all, 37 years. 
And clerk of circuit court from 1S(>9 to 

1852, ----------- 43 years. 

3. Stephen A. Porter, from 1838 to 1858, - 20 years. 

4. Charles B. McDannald, from 1858 to 

1869, when he was removed by mili- 
tary authority, but continued to dis- 
charge tlie duties of the office as deputy 
of his brother, Wm. 11. McDannald, 
who was appointed clerk, until the 
death of the latter in 1874, when C. 
B. McDannald was appointed clerk 
jpro tern, till July, 1875, making his 
entire time of service - - - - - 17 years. 

5. Adam G. Cleek, from 1875 to 1887, - - 12 years. 

And re-elected in May, 1887. 

BIOGRAPHKUL SKf:TCHES OF BATH CLERKS. 

Colonel Charles Cameron was born in Scotland, 
and came to America in early life with Samuel Woods, 
of Albemarle. He was a man of liberal education, and 
of high character in all respects; was a good clerk, 
and highly esteemed throughout his life of seventy- 
seven years, having been born in 1759 and died in 
1829. lie first married a Miss Miller, a sister of 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 63 

Samuel Miller, of Augusta county, who died soon 
after Colonel Cameron's removal to Botetourt county. 
He was captain of a company from that county in the 
famous battle of Point Pleasant, where he received a 
severe wound in the leg. His two brothers, George 
and Hugh Cameron, and three half -brothers, named 
Murray, were killed in the same battle. He was also 
a soldier in the lievolutionary war — was a lieutenant 
in Colonel Stephens' regiment ; was in the battles of 
Brandy wine and Germantown ; and afterwards captain 
of a company in Colonel Sampson Matthews' regiment 
of General Campbell's brigade. 

Colonel C/ameron was elected clerk at the first court 
held for Bath county, at the house of Margaret Lewis, 
at the Warm Springs, on the 10th day of May, 1Y91. 
He had also been appointed as one of the first justices 
and the first colonel of the militia of the count}^ His 
second wife was Pacliel Warwick, daughter of Jacob 
Warwick, of Bath county, who was in the battle of 
Point Pleasant with Colonel Cameron, where they met 
for the first time. He (Warwick) was a man of great 
energy, and owned large tracts of the best lands in 
Bath and Pocahontas counties. Colonel Cameron held 
the ofiice of clerk and faithfully performed its duties 
until April, 1814, when he resigned, and died in July, 
1829, from the effects of the wound in his leg at the 
battle of Point Pleasant. His widow received a pen- 
sion for his services in the Revolutionary war. 

Charles Lewis Francisco, who succeeded Colonel 
Cameron as clerk, w^as born in Kentucky, his parents 
having removed to Kentucky from the Yalley of Yir- 
ginia. He was qualified as deputy under Colonel 
Cameron in April, 1801, and performed the most of 



64 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

the duties uf clerk, as the records of that time show. 
After tlie resignation of Colonel Cameron, in April, 
1814:, he was elected by the justices clerk of the county 
court, and held the office until the June term, 1838, 
when he was defeated l)y Stephen A. Porter, after one 
of the most exciting elections that was ever helcl in the 
county, which is even now often spoken of by the old citi- 
zens of the countv, the candidates beinoj Charles L. Fran- 
cisco and Stephen A. Porter. Francisco was an excellent 
clerk, and had always x)erformed the duties of tlie office 
faithfully. Porter was very j^opular, and a man of 
first-rate character. There were twenty-one justices on 
the bench, of whom Porter received twelve votes and 
Francisco nine. As soon as the election of Porter was 
announced, Francisco resigned his office for the remain- 
der of his term, and Porter was appointed clerk j9?'t> 
tem. for the unexpired term, and qualitied as clerk on 
the 5th day of July, 1838. Mr. Francisco had held 
the office of county clerk as deputy and as principal 
for the long period of thirty-seven years ; but he had 
held the office of circuit court clerk even longer than 
this, having been made the first clerk of the superior 
court of law in 1800, which in 1831 was changed to 
the circuit superior court of law and chancery, and 
continued so until 1852, when Stephen A. Porter be- 
came clerk both of the county and circuit courts, Mr. 
Francisco having held the office from 1809 to 1852, a 
period of forty-three years. lie died at his home at 
the Warm Springs in May, 1859, having been a ruling 
elder in the Presbyterian church for twenty -five years. 




OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 65 

Stephen A. Porter, the third clerk of Bath county^, 
was the son of Adam Porter, and was born in the year 
1812. lie was elected clerk of the county court over 
C. L. Francisco in June, 1838 ; was re-elected bj the 
justices in 1845 for a term of seven years, and under 
the constitution of 1852 he was elected by the people 
clerk of the county, thereby becoming ex officio clerk 
of the circuit court, which offices he held until 1st July, 
1858. Mr. Porter never held any other office. H6 
was a very popular man and a good clerk. He built 
up the Healing Springs property, and was proprietor of 
them for a number of years. He also assisted in the 
management of the Rockbridge Alum Springs for 
several seasons prior to his death, which was brought 
about by injuries received by being thrown from th6 
top of a stage on the road from Goshen Depot to the 
Rockbridge Alum Springs, in May, 1870. 

Charles R. McDannald, the fourth clerk of Bath 
county, was the son of John McDannald. He act6d 
as deputy in the office of Stephen A. Porter, and did 
most of the business of the office (as the records show) 
from 1852 to 1858, when he was elected clerk ; and 
again in 186-1. He was removed by the military gov- 
ernment in 1869, because he could not take the "iron- 
clad" oath, and liis brother, WilKam H. McDannald, 
who could take the oath, was appointed clerk in his 
stead on the 12tli of January, 1869. Charles R. Mc- 
Dannald qualified as his brother's deputy, and performed 
all the duties of the office, receiving its emoluments. 
William H. McDannald was reappointed by Judg6 
Seig the clerk of the county court in May, 1870, and C. 
R. McDannald qualified as his deputy, discharging the 
duties of the office until the death of W. H. McDan- 



66 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

nald, ill January, 187^, wlien Charles R. McDannald 
was appointed clerk j9rc> temj^ore to serve out liis brother's 
unexpired term, which ended on the 1st day of July, 
1875, when he Avas succeeded by Adam G. Cleek, who 
had been elected clerk in May, 1875. 

C. R. McDannald was an excellent clerk, very sys- 
tematic and accurate as to the business of the office, 
having a place for everything and everything in its 
place. 

AdxVM G. Cleek, who succeeded Mr. McDannald 
1st July, 1875, is a native of Bath county ; has been 
an officer in the county since he arrived at manhood, 
lie commenced as a constable on the 8th of June, 1847; 
was deputy sheriff January 1st, 1857, which office he 
held until 1860 ; was elected clerk over Charles R. 
McDannald in 1875 ; was re-elected clerk in 1881, and 
again at the election of May, 1887. He has always 
been a very poj^ular man and a good clerk. George 
H. Mayse, his deputy, has done most of the business 
for the last five years. 



BEDFORD COUNTY. 



Bedford was formed from Lunenburg, in 1753, and 
has had seven clerks of the county court and five of 
the circuit court, without counting one of each court 
who was appointed by the military authority of District 
No. 1. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



67 



In the County Court. 

1. Benjamin Howard, from June, 1754, to 

January 1, 1772, ------- 18 years. 

2. James Steptoe,* from January 1, 1772, to 

February, 1826, - - ----- 51 years. 

3. James C. Steptoe, (son of James), from 

February, 1820, to October, 1827, - 1 year. 

4. Eobert C. Mitchell, from November, 1827, 

to June, 1815, -------- 18 years. 

5. John K. Steptoe, (grandson of James), 

from June, 1815, to July, 1852, - - 7 years. 

6. Albon A. Arthur, from July, 1852, to 

January, 1869, - 17 years. 

7. Eobert S. Quarles, (great-grandson of Jas. 

Steptoe), from April, 1870, to July, 

1887, - - - - 17 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

In the Circuit Court. 

1. James C. Steptoe, from 1809 to 1827, - 18 years. 

2. Joseph Wilson, from 1827 to 1855, - - 28 years. 

3. Rowland D. Buford, from 1855 to 1881, 26 years. 

4. McLeod Kasey, from 1 881 to 1 882, (died,) 1 year. 

5. John M. Speece, from 1882 to 1887, - 5 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



* James Steptoe was also clerk of the district court, composed of the 
counties of Bedford, Franl^lin, Campbell, Pittsylvania and Henry, 



from 1772 to 1797 



6^8 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

CLERKS OF BEDFOED COUNTY. 

JAMES STEPTOE. 

A liandsome monument in the old burial-ground, 
near New London, bears the inscription, " James Step- 
toe, Ijoim m 1750^ died i)i 1826. For fifty-four years 
the clerk of Bedford county. ■'' 

Such is the brief and simple record concerning a man 
who, for more than half a centurj, occupied one of the 
most prominent and honorable positions in what was 
once known as "the Old Dominion," and who was, in 
fact, one of tne connecting links between two different 
forms of society, as well as two different forms of gov- 
ernment, and a typical representative of both. 

The ancestral home of the Steptoe family was known 
as " Hominy Hall," in Westmoreland county, Yirginia, 
and James Steptoe, the subject of this sketch, was born 
there on the 16th day of July, 1750. He was con- 
nected by blood or marriage with three old families of 
Westmoreland whose names have become historic in 
tlie annals of Yirginia: the AYashingtons, the Lees, 
and the Ayletts. He bore his father's name, whose 
father's name was Philip Steptoe, of New Kent, and 
of whom we have an interesting account by the histo- 
rian Campbell, published in tlie So'uthem Literary 
Messenger of March, 1841. This was a descrij^tion of 
" Teddington Hall," the seat of the above-named Sir 
I^hilip Steptoe, with an inscription on a toml)stone and 
the Steptoe coat-of-arms and crest, (a stag with antlers) 
and motto, *•' Spes Mea in Deo.'''' The inscription is 
as follows : " This tomb is sacred to the memory of Sir 
Philip Steptoe ; in various emj^loyments of pul)lic trust 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 69 

an example of loyalty to his king and affection to his 
conntry. In the several relations of life a pattern 
worthy of imitation. An eqnanimity which few are 
capable of conclncted him, to whom fortune had been 
so auspicious, through the various scenes of life with 
success, and contributed to the ornament of a name the 
most exalted, not only with dignity but propriety. 
Isot made imperious with advancement, he rose to 
almost the highest honors of his country. His rank 
and fortune made him most entensively useful. He 
was descended of an ancient family in England, which 
came to Virginia bearing a genteel and honorable char- 
acter. On the 30th of May, 1748, in the 59th year of 
his age, his s]iirit returned to God who gave it, and his 
body reposes here, in the siu'e and certain hope of a 
joyful resurrection.'' The elder James Steptoe's half- 
sister, Anne, married Colonel Samuel Washington, 
own brother of " the immortal Gem*ge," in whose will 
his favorite nephew, George Stejlffep, Washington, is 
named as one of the executors. Another half-sister of 
James Steptoe (Elizal)eth) married Philip liudwell Lee, 
from whom descended Henry Lee, Robert E. Lee, 
Richard Henry Lee, and others of that illustrious family. 
Havhig thus traced briefly the lineage of James 
Steptoe, we will proceed to give a sketch of the man 
himself, and to jiortray his admirable character. He 
was educated at William and Mary College ; and while 
there, when he was about twenty years of age, made 
the acquaintance of Thomas Jefferson, a fellow-student, 
who was a few years older than himself ; and there 
grew up between them a very warm and close friend- 
ship, which continued through life, except for a very 
brief season (as will hereafter be more particularly 



70 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

referred to), and they both died in the same year (1826). 
Mr. Steptoe's whole subsequent career seems to have 
been to some extent moulded and shaped bv this early 
connection with Mr. Jefferson, who, as is well known, 
impressed his opinions on pul)lic questions, as well as 
his religious opinions, on others to a greater extent 
than any other man of his day. It was chiefl}^ through 
Mr. Jefferson's influence with the colonial government, 
which then held a sort of vice-regal court at AVilliams- 
burg, that James Ste^^toe obtained and held, for about 
a year, an office under Secretary Nelson, from which 
he was transferred in 1772 (when he was just twenty- 
two years of age) to the clerkship of tlie district court, 
whicli was then held at New London, in Bedford 
county ; and at the same time he was made clerk of 
Bedford county court, which he held to the close of 
his life, in 1826 — fifty-four years. Bedford had, about 
twenty years before, been formed from Lunenburg 
county, and then embraced a large territory, out of 
which several other counties have since been formed. 
The pcqmlation was sparse, and the people plain and 
generally uneducated — a very different state of society 
from that which James Steptoe had been accustomed 
to ; and there is a tradition in the family that he had 
not occupied his new position more than a few months 
before he sought his friend Jefferson and begged him 
to obtain a different position for him, where he would 
be among more civihzed and congenial people. Mr. 
Jefferson, however, prevailed on the discontented young 
clerk to remain where he was, assuring him that the 
Btate of things would improve, and that he would spend 
much of his time in the neighborhood, where he had a 
fine farm called "Poplar Forest"; and as a further 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 71 

iiidiicenient for liim to remain, lie promised to send, 
and did send, young Alexander, anotlier slip of gentility 
from the low conntry, for a deputy, as well as a com- 
panion. These and perhaps some other inducements 
reconciled James Steptoe to his position, and before he 
and Mr. Jefferson met a^ain he had formed an ac- 
quaintance with a young lady of the neighborhood, a 
daughter of James Callaway,"^ who owned very large 
landed possessions in the county, and it was not long 
before Ifiss Callaway became Mrs. Steptoe. 

A part of what follows is in the words of a lady 
living in Lynchburg, who married the grandson of 
James Steptoe, and who published in a Northern jour- 
nal, some years ago, a well-written and pleasant article, 
under the title of " The Old Virginia Gentleman — The 
Clerk of Bedford County and his Great Friends." The 
incidents related of James Steptoe are well authenti- 
cated, being derived from members of the family who 
were well accpiainted with tlie facts, and often related 
them very much in the form that they are here related : 

" Just in sight of his last resting-j)lace stands the old 
manor-house, built by James Steptoe, where his long 
and useful life was spent, and where nine sons and 
daughters, most of whom sleep now in the old grave- 
yard near new London, were born to him. It was in 
this hospitable mansion that Mr. Steptoe loved to en- 
tertain his friend, Jefferson, when his old class-mate 
had become world-famous and world-weary, and in the 
intervals of rest from his public duties sought time for 

* Colonel Callaway was the son of Sir William Callaway, was 
thrice married, and was the father of twenty-two children. His de- 
scendants are very numerous, and are scattered all over the Southern 
and Western States. 



"72 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

his studies and for company in bis loved seclusion at 
Poplar Forest, which was some three miles from Mr. 
Steptoe's house. It was during one of these visits to 
Poplar Forest that General Jackson, on his way to 
Washington, just after the battle of Xew Orleans, 
dined with Mr. Jefferson at Mr. Steptoe's ; and the 
two great men, meeting at the gate, dismounted from 
their horses, and exchanged salutations with each other 
and with their host, who waited for them witliin the 
lawn. ^Ir. Jefferson, waiving his hand, stood back for 
' Old Hickory ' to jiass before him, when that doughty 
warrior, bowing low, said 'surely Mr. Jelferson does 
not think that I would go before an ex-President of 
the United States,' to which ^Ir. Jelferson courteously 
replied, ' It would ill become me to take precedence of 
the hero of New Orleans.' Thus the two great meu 
stood, bowing and scraping at each other in the road^ 
while Mr. 8tej)toe waited somewhat impatiently within 
the ffate for his turn at i>;reetin2: his ""uests, until at 
length General Jackson threw his arms about Mr. Jef- 
ferson and gently lifted him quite over the threshold ; 
and then the GeneraFs aides, with other gentry from 
the neighborhood, came up, and we may fancy what a 
merry time they had over Mrs. Steptoe's sum])tuous 
dinner, when the good dame, in the pride of her heart, 
had set out a silver service that had cost several hun- 
dred pounds sterling. 

" But a day came when a shadow fell upon the friend- 
ship of Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Steptoe, as clouds will 
fall on human friendships, and it was in this wise : Mr. 
Steptoe had another valued friend — Major James Gib- 
bon, a gallant othcer of the Ilevolutionary army, who 
led the forlorn hope at the storming and capture of 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



73 



Stony Point. This old hero liad been given the ap- 
pointment of collector of customs at the port of Rich- 
mond, but had been removed by Mr. Jefferson Ije- 
canse it had been represented to him that Major Cxib- 
bon was on familiar terms with Aaron Bnrr, who 
was then on trial at Eichmond for acts charged against 
him as treasonable. Soon after tliis removal of Major 
Gibbon, Mr. Jefferson was on one of his annual 
visits to Poplar Forest, but his old friend James 
Steptoe, who was usually the first to welcome the illus- 
trious visitor to his summer home, neither went in 
person nor sent a message of salutation to his life-long 
friend. Days lengthened into weeks, and still he made 
no sio-n ; and at last Mr. Jefferson, on a bright summer 
morning, rode over to Mr. Steptoe' s, and dismounted 
from his horse at the gate, and on entering the yard 
found Mr. Steptoe walking to and fro on his portico, 
apparently unconscioiis of his guest's arrival. Mr. 
Jefferson advanced with outstretched hand and cordial 
smile, but Mr. Steptoe gazed cold and stern upon his 
visitor, returning no look or word of kindness for the 
offered greeting of the President, who thus addressed 
him : ' Why, James Steptoe, how is this ? I have been 
for weeks almost in a stone's throw of you, and though 
you have usually been the first to welcome me home, 
your face is now turned from me, and you give me no 
welcome to your house.' To this Mr. Steptoe coolly 
replied: 'Mr. Jefferson I have been disappointed in 
you, sir ; you are not the man I took you to be. You 
know as well as I do that Major James Gibbon was a 
brave and meritorious officer of the revolutionary army ; 
that he served under Aaron Burr, who was also a gal- 
lant soldier, and his officers were greatly attached to 



74 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

liim. IS^ow when Colonel Burr lias been broiiglit to 
Richmond for trial, committed to prison and every 
indignity heaped on him, just because Major Gibbon 
has supplied his old commander with some necessaries 
and comforts, you, from liatred of ]>urr, have wreaked 
your vengeance on Gibbon, and deprived a faithful 
old soldier of an office wliich was his only means of 
support.' 'Why, Mr. Steptoe, is that all?' said Mr. 
Jefferson. 'I assure you the matter had not been so 
presented to me before. But the same hand that re- 
moved Major Gibbon can replace him, and justice shall 
be done him at once.' ' Then you are indeed my friend, 
and welcome as ever to my home and heart,' cried James 
Steptoe, and the two friends were quickly folded in 
each other's embrace. Mr. Steptoe's land and silv^er 
are gone ; his bones have turned to dust ; his resting- 
place is hidden with weeds and briars ; his name will 
ere long be forgotten in tlie eartli, but let us honor the 
man who would refuse the proffered hand of the Pres- 
ident of the United States when tliat liand was stained 
by an unworthy act. Would that there were more 
Virginians of such metal in our day !" 

No biography of James Steptoe would be comi)lete 
without some reference to an event which has made his 
name somewhat historic. William Wirt, in his " Life 
of Patrick Henry," gives the following account, as show- 
ing the wonderful effect ])roduced on those who heard 
Mr. Henry when indulging in his highest style of im- 
passioned declamation. It must have been just over- 
powering. It was certainly so to the old clerk of Bed- 
ford on the occasion referred to, which is thus related : 

*' John Hook was a man of wealth, and not sujiposed 
to be over-friendly to the American cause. During 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 75 

the distresses of the American army, consequent on 
the joint invasion of Cornwallis and Phillips, in 1781, 
a Mr. Yenable, an army commissary, had taken two of 
Hook's steers for the use of the troops. The act had 
not been strictly legal ; and, on the establishment of 
peace. Hook, on the advice of Mr. Cowan, a gentleman 
of some distinction in the law, thought proper to bring 
an action of trespass against Mr. Yenable in the dis- 
trict court, held at N'ew London. Mr. Henry appeared 
for the defendant, and is said to have deported himself 
in this cause to the great delight and enjoyment of his 
hearers, the unfortunate Hook always excepted. After 
Mr. Henry became animated in the cause, he appeared 
to have complete control over the passions of his audi- 
ence ; at one time exciting their indignation against 
Hook, when vengeance was visible in every counte- 
nance ; again, when he chose to relax, and ridicule him, 
the whole audience was in a roar of laughter. He 
painted the distresses of the American army, exposed, 
almost naked, to the rigors of a wiiitry sky, and marking 
the frozen ground over which they marched with the 
blood of their unshod feet. Where was the man, he 
asked, who had an American heart in his bosom, who 
would not have thrown open his fields, his barns, his 
cellars, the doors of his house, the portals of his breast, 
to receive with open arms the meanest soldier in that 
little band of famished patriots? He carried the jury, 
by the i:>owers of his imagination, to tlie plains around 
Yorktown, the surrender of which had followed shortly 
after the act complained of by Hook. He depicted the 
surrender in the most glowing colors of his eloquence ; 
the audience saw before their eyes the humiliation and 
dejection of the British as they marched out of their 



76 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

trenches ; they saw the trininph that liglited up every 
patriotic face, and heard the shouts of victory — the 
cry of ' AVashiiigton and Liberty ' — as it rung and 
echoed through the American ranks, and was reverbe- 
rated from tlie hills and shores of the neighboring 
rivers ; but, hark I What notes of discord are these 
that disturb the general joy and silence the acclama- 
tions of victory ? They are the notes of John llook, 
lioarsely bawling through the American camp, ' Beef !' 
* Beef !' ' Beef !' The whole audience were convulsed. 
A particular incident will give a better idea of the 
effect than any general description. The clerk of the 
court, unal)le to command himself, and unwilling to 
commit any l)reach of decorum in his place, rushed 
out of the court-house and threw himself on the gravSS, 
where he was rolling in the most violent paroxysm of 
laughter, when John Hook, with very different feel- 
ings, came out for relief into the yard, and, addressing 
the clerk, said, ' Jemmy Steptoe, what ails you, mon V 
Mr. Steptoe could only say, he could not help it. 'Xever 
mind,' said Hook, ' wait till Billy Cowan gets up, and 
he'll show him the la'.' Billy Cowan did make an 
effort to ' get up,' but was so overwhelmed by the tor- 
rent that bore upon his client, that he was scarcely 
able to make an intelligible or audible remark. The 
cause was decided almost by acclamation, the jury re- 
turning almost instantly with a verdict for the defend- 
ant." So much for IVIr. Wirt's account of the matter. 
It is but an act of simple justice to say, however, 
that while the current of public opinion, under the 
magic influence of Mr. Henry's eloquence, ran for a 
time strongly against John Hook, yet, after the passions 
of men had become cooler, and the case came to be 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 



77 



looked at in its true liglit as an illegal proceeding on 
the part of tlie commissary, and that he was not really 
unfriendly to the American cause, the current was 
changed ; and John Hook lived and died as a highly 
respected citizen, leaving descendants who are worthy 
of his name. It is no slight testimony in favor of his 
high standing and character that he w^as commissioned 
as a justice of the peace by Patrick Henry when he 
was Governor of Virginia. 

The office of clerk has been held in the Steptoe 
family in its lineal and collateral branches for more 
than a hundred years, and one of his great-grandsons 
(Robert Steptoe Quarles) is now the popular and effi- 
cient clerk of Bedford county. 

. The character of James Steptoe may be described in 
a few words— integrity, independence and the strictest 
form of republican simplicity ; as to the last of which 
he seems to have made Mr. Jefferson his model and 
prototype. Though descended, as will be seen above, 
from a long line of the better class of English gentry, 
he never alluded to it himself ; in fact, it was unknown 
even to his family until after his death, when they 
learned it through his correspondence. While this is 
60, he had a high appreciation of Uood in horses, and 
throughout his life kept some about him of the best 
Enghsh stock. He was a man who held very decided 
opinions on all subjects, and would at times express 
them as to men and public affairs in very nervous lan- 
guage, being strong in his friendships and equally 
strong in his dislikes. As a clerh, he was every- 
thing that could be desired ; polite and obliging, (as 
true gentlemen always are) ; careful and attentive in 
the business of his office and in court, and ready at 



78 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

all times to give infonnation and advice to those who 
needed it. 

Tlie engraved likeness which accompanies this sketch 
is a reduced copy of an oil painting in the possession 
of F. J., taken by Harvey Mitchell in 182G, the year of 
the old gentleman's deatli, and is the original of " The 
Old Virginia Gentleman" in Dr. Baghy's admirable 
lecture, ''Bacon and Greens," where he describes the 
O. Y. G. so naturally as sitting with a book in his 
hand by the side of his open secretary, with an ink- 
stand in wdiicli is stuck a long goose-quill pen, and 
where, besides his papers, he kept his powder-gourd, 
shot-bag, gun-ilints, horse-shoe nails, and other things, 
including a stick of licorice, which he always kept by 
him as an expectorant — all exactly as I have often seeo 
him, when a boy, on visits to him with my brothers. 
The picture on the w^all is that of his life-long friend, 
Thomas Jefferson, and the map is one of Fry and 
Jefferson's, referred to in Jefferson's ISTotes on Virginia. 
A distant view of the Peaks of Otter, as seen through 
the open window, gives additional interest to the scene, 
which is true to life in every particular. 

As stated above, James Steptoe left a family of live 
sons — James (7., wdio succeeded his father as clerk ; 
WiUia7n^ wdio became an eminent physician ; George^ 
whose son, John H. Steptoe, wtis the fifth clerk of 
Bedford ; Icohert 0. and Thomas i and four daughters — 
Klizaheth P.^ who married Charles Johnston (father 
of tlie present writer); Frances^ who married Henry 
S. Langhorne; Lucy^ who married Bobcrt Benn, and 
Sally ^ who married William M assie, w' hose son, Thomas 
J., was the third clerk of Nelson county. 

P. S. — Since the foregoing was written, I have come 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 79 

into possession of tlie original couniiission of Janies 
Steptoe as clerk of Bedford county, in the neat and 
clerical handwriting of Secretary Xelson, which is here 
copied as a valued historical relic. 

*' To all to whom these presents shall come, Thomas 
ISTelson, Esquire, sendeth greeting : Know ye, that I, 
the said Thomas Nelson, by virtue of the powers and 
authorities to me granted by the Honorable William 
Adair, Esquire, secretary of this his Majesty's colony 
and dominion of Virginia, do by these presents nomi- 
nate, constitute and appoint James Steptoe, Gentleman, 
to be clerk of the county of Bedford: to have and to 
hold the said place and office of clerk of said county, 
to him the said Jmies Steptoe, with all fees, privileges, 
profits and perquisites whatsoever to the said place and 
office in any wise appertaining, during pleasure ; and I 
do hereby revoke all former commissions granted for 
the said place. In witness, I have hereunto set my 
hand and affixed my seal, at Williamsburg, the seven- 
teenth day of January, one thousand seven hundred 
and seventy-two, in the twelfth year of the reign of 
our Sovereign Lord King George the Third. 

"Thos. Nelson." 

KoBEKT Ckut^ip Mitchell, SOU of William Manning 
and Sallie Mitchell (ne6 Hawkins), was born in the 
county of Amherst, on the 28th day of December, 
1807. His father was descended from one of the 
Huguenot families that fled from persecution m France, 
and settled in New Kent county, Virginia, in 1700. 
The name was then written Michel. Mr. Kobert 
Mitchell's mother was a grand-daughter of the famous 
Benjamin Borden, who came to Virginia in 1736, and 



80 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

to whom was granted bj tlie king of Great Britain an 
immense boundary of land, containing three hundred 
thousand acres, lying in what was then known as West 
Augusta, embracing the counties of Augusta, Rock- 
bridge, Botetourt, &c., upon condition of his getting a 
certain number of British subjects to settle on it. Mr. 
Borden was quite successful in the enterprise, and 
reaped a rich harvest from it, though he eventually 
had a great deal of trouble and litigation with the 
settlers. 

Bobert C. Mitchell inherited no part of his ancestor's 
wealth ; and when only twelve years of age, at his 
father's death, he was put into the clerk's office of 
Bedford county, under the care and training of his 
maternal uncle, James C. Stcptoe, who was for many 
years the deputy of his father, James Steptoe, former 
clerk of Bedford, and subsequently succeeded his fatlier 
in office. On the death of James C. Steptoe, in 1827, 
Bobert C. Mitchell was elected clerk by the justices of 
the county court, on the 27th day of November, 1827, 
and at once entered on the discharge of his duties. lie 
w^as a remarkably handsome man, rather above medium 
height, closely and compactly built, dark hair, large 
black eyes, ruddy coinplexion, and weighed about one 
hundred and sixty pounds. Ilis figure was striking for 
its symmetry ; his disposition was quick and impulsive, 
though he was generous and forgiving ; he was quiet 
and gentle in his deportment ; affable, courteous and 
polite, and warm in liis friendships. lie was a man 
of the strictest integrity of character ; open-hearted, 
and free from and above anything like trickery, chi- 
canery, demagogism or meanness of any kind — qualities 
which his soul abhorred, and when such things were 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. . 81 

related of otliers, or mentioned in liis presence, it was 
not easy for him to restrain his severe and outspoken 
condemnation. He wrote a singnlarlj beautiful hand, 
and though not remarkably rapid, yet he was physically 
able to undergo great labor at his desk, and he never 
seemed to become weary. His writing was so even 
and close (seldom making a mistake or error), that it 
was astonishing at the close of the day to find how 
much he had accomplished. He was proud of his 
profession, and loved it ; his work was at all times the 
perfection of neatness ; his records were always kept 
up, carefully compared, examined and noted ; his books 
properly indexed ; his fees correctly charged ; his pa- 
pers conveniently folded, endorsed, labelled and filed. 
Take him altogether, as county court clerk he had no 
superior, and very few equals. ^Notwithstanding all 
this, at the regular election in June, 1845, owing to 
some temporizing and selfishness (to speak softly) on 
the part of some of the justices, Mr. Mitchell was de- 
feated, and a sad day it was for the people of the 
county. On the first day of July following he, through 
the young man who had been his deputy, delivered the 
key of the ofiice to his successor. Mr. Mitchell had 
left it the evening previous in perfect order ; nothing 
was left undone, and so it was delivered over with all 
his books and other things connected with his ofiSce, 
which were models of convenience, accuracy and neat- 
ness. 

After his defeat, he retired to a farm that he owned 
about four miles from Liberty, and gave it his personal 
attention for several years. During this period he was 
elected a delegate to represent Bedford county in the 
General Assembly of Virginia ; but his mind became 



82 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

wearj of tlie farm, and he siglied for some employment 
more exciting and remunerative. lie had a large and 
increasing family, and felt it to be his duty to engage 
in some business more in keeping with his former life. 
In 1852, he undertook, in connection with an expe- 
rienced railroad contractor, a contract on the Vir- 
ginia and Tennessee railroad (now Xorfolk and "West- 
tern) to make part of the road-bed in Bedford county. 
The contract was a large one, and he succeeded in 
making handsome profits from it. Subse(]uently he 
was elected cashier of the Merchants Bank of Lynch- 
burg, which position he accepted, and the bank did a 
fine Inisiness ; he, however, grew weary at being sepa- 
rated from his family, his residence being thirty miles 
from Lynchburg, and he resigned the office and re- 
turned to his home. In 1866, he was chosen Senator 
for the district composed of the counties of Bedford 
and Amherst. Subsequently he accepted the position 
of cashier of the Libert v branch of the Lvnchburo- In- 

tj I/O 

surance and Banking Company, which he conducted 
successfully for several years, and until his health gave 
way, when he resigned the position. He gradually 
grew worse, until death relieved him of his sufferings, 
at his own residence, Wheatley, on the 5th day of June, 
1872, where his remains were interred in the family 
l)urying-ground, attended by a large concourse of peo- 
ple who had always admired, respected and loved him. 
We doubt whether he was ever really contented after 
he left the clerk's office, the duties of which he had dis- 
charged so efficiently and faithfully ; and his defeat, 
especially in the way it was accomplished, was as a fes- 
terins: sore to him durincy the remainder of his life. 
His domestic life was a haj^py one ; his wife had been 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 83 

quite a belle in lier youth, fascinating, intelligent, prettj 
and gay ; in fact, she was a most charming woman in 
all respects. Tlie fruit of their marriage was sixteen 
children, twelve of whom, (six boys and six girls), 
reached maturity ; all handsome and intelligent, and 
several of the daughters were remarkable for their 
beauty. 

Mr. Mitchell doted on his wife and children, and 
they on him ; he enjoyed innocent amusements very 
much, and delighted in a pleasant -joke — gave them and 
received them. lie was, for a number of years, a con- 
sistent member of the Methodist Church (South) ; waa 
steward in the church at Liberty, and was often the 
delegate of his church to its representative meetings. 

The late Joseph Wilson, son of John AVilson and 
Sarah Wilson (nee Hunter), was born in Bedford county, 
Virginia. His father was an Englishman, and a tailor 
by trade. Mr. John Wilson, owning but a small por- 
tion of worldly goods, through the influence of the late 
John Alexander, the then clerk of the courts of Camp- 
bell county, Virginia, was induced to remove with his 
family to that county. At an early age, and with but 
little education, Mr. Joseph Wilson was taken into the 
clerk's office of Campbell county, and, under the care 
and training of Mr. Alexander, he became an accom- 
plished clerk. His health was delicate from infancy, 
and, after reaching maturity, he weighed usually about 
one hundred and ten pounds. He was about medium 
height, dark gray eyes, thick suit of dark hair, fea- 
tures small and regular, exceedingly thin and spare, 
in person, a great sufferer from dyspepsia, physically 
so frail and weak that he was compelled to use a 



84 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

cane, and even tlien often swayed as he walked, and 
was a little bent. lie suffered much with pain about 
his loins from confinement to his duties, and so intense 
were his sufferings at times that he would, for tempo- 
rary relief, change his ]:>osition fi'oin the ordinary sit- 
ting posture and double his lean, bony legs under 
him, like a tailor on his bench, and then again for a 
while sit on lirst one leg doubled under him and then 
tlie other, and then again he would stoop in his chair 
for a while on both feet and then first on one foot and 
then the other ; and yet, in any position he would as- 
sume, it apparently made no difference in his writing 
— all that seemed necessary to enable him to w^rite was 
simply the use of his hand ; in that respect he was a 
wonderful man ; he had a horror of the steel pen, and 
would not permit one in his office. lie w^as a man of 
unusually fine common sense; observant, quick to dis- 
cern ; rather slow" to speak ; if in error, it required 
strong, solid logic to convince him of it ; and he ad- 
hered to his ow^n conclusions, when deliberately formed, 
with great tenacity, yet he was charitable and just. 

On the death of James C. Steptoe, clerk of the cir- 
cuit superior court of Bedford county, the Honorable 
William Daniel, judge of the court, who was well 
acquainted with ]\Jr. "Wilson's capacity and fitness for 
the office, tendered liim the {ippointment, which he 
accepted, and returned to his native county, and quali- 
fied and entered upon his office duties in November, 
1827, which position he held, by subsequent appoint- 
ment and election, until his death, which occurred on 
the 23d of January, 1855, in about the fifty-fifth year 
of his age. He had no superior as a circuit court clerk ; 
wrote a beautiful running hand, plain and easily read, 



OLD VIK(aXlA CLKKKS. 85. 

and Avas the swiftest pemiian we Lave evei* known. 
He always wrote witli a quill pen, and it mattered very 
little whether he wrote with the under part or hack of 
the pen next the paper ; he very rarely made or mended 
his pen. On coming into his office lie would pick up 
any pen that came first, and write away with astonish- 
ing ease and beauty. It was tantalizing to the ordinary 
penman to sit and watch his pen move with such ease 
and rapidity. He was generally neat as well as accu- 
rate, though sometimes, when in a great hurry in couit, 
he would run his fino-er throui>:h a mistake in fresh ink 
and write right tlirough it. He could ti-ansact more 
business, and do it correctly, and do more writing in a 
given length of time, than any other clerk or person 
we have ever known. 

Mr. Wilson Avas appointed and acted as one of tlie 
commissioners in chancery of his court. He was a 
capital accountant, and did tlioroughly and properly 
whatever business he undertook or devolved on him. 
So familiar was he with the duties of his office as clerk, 
and so Avell had he become versed in the chancery 
practice of the court, and such his facihty for writing 
up the court orders, that he often, after the judge had 
announced his decision from the bench, prepared and 
entered in the order book the decree in the cause, with- 
out even a note or memorandum as a guide. He was 
not a stickler for forms, yet he was concise, tliorough, 
accurate, and so well informed in the statute law that 
his judgment was often sought and relied on by the 
members of the bar and the people generally. He was 
a man of pubhc spirit, and took great interest in 
National as well as State affairs. In politics he was a 
Whiff of the Webster-Clav school, but w^as neither 



86 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

fussy nor boistei'ous ; his opinions were his own, and 
he was neither afraid nor ashamed to express them on 
proper occasions. He was eminently a conservative 
man. When tlie scheme for building the Virginia and 
Tennessee railroad (now part of Norfolk and Western 
railroad from Lynchburg to Bristol) was suggested he 
considered the subject maturely, became fully convinced 
of its utility and value, and gr(;atly aided in carrying 
it successfully through. After the formation of the 
company, he was elected one of its directors, and 
proved to be a useful one. Though ])hysically weak 
and delicate at all times, he was fond of society, and 
enjoyed and sometimes engaged in its innocent anmse- 
meiits. When not busy, and in times of ])olitical ex- 
citement, he occasionally talked and discussed pleasantly 
and sensibly the issues between the Whig and Demo- 
cratic parties. An old Democratic friend of his, 
residing not far from the court-house, and who was 
very deaf, frequently souglit liis company to talk poli- 
tics. One was as decided and fixed in his opinions as 
the other, l)ut they were wai-ni personal friends, and 
there was never a iar between them. It was amusino- 
to "lookers-on" to witncvss the interviews. The hotter 
the canvass, the more frequent the visits. His Demo- 
cratic friend would walk into the othce, and, after 
customary salutations, the fun would l)egin. His friend 
was so deaf that it was necessary for liini to put his 
hand to Jiis ear to catch the sound of }^lv. AVilson's 
voice. The position he thus assumed, and his intent 
gaze into ]\Ir. Wilson's face, and the high key to which 
Mr. AV^ilson was compelled to ^^itch his voice in order 
to be heard, and the frequency of the scene, was truly 
amusing. On one of the occasions just mentioned, a 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 87 

Wliig friend of Mr. Wilson happened to step in, and, 
taking in the situation at a glance, lie humorously said 
to Mr. Wilson : '' Why, Joe, this is a scheme concocted 
by the Democrats to break you down.'' The joke was 
enjoyed by all around, and by none more than Mr. 
Wilson himself. Mr. AVilson was a fine tactician ; he 
understood men and measures; his ma/ti oy men y^QTQ 
generally nominated at party county conventions, and 
they were among tlie best. 

On the 13th of March, 1829, Mr. Wilson and Miss 
Mary Jane Cani]ijbell were married by the late Rev. 
Nicholas II. Cobbs. Mrs. Wilson was the daughter of 
Mr. Rol)ert Campbell, one of the most intelligent and 
wealthy farmers of Bedford county. The fruit of the 
marriage Avas twelve children, only eight of whom 
reached maturity. Mr. Wilson's residence was in 
Liberty ; his hospitable dwelling was often the scene 
of great enjoyment and pleasure to the aged and the 
young in the town. Mr. Wilson survived his wife 
several years.. Until w^ithin a year or two just pre- 
ceding his death, the business of his office was kept in 
fine condition ; but disease had preyed upon his deli- 
cate frame and death had robbed him of his dear wife, 
who by her unceasing care and watchfulness had helped 
to prolong his life, and, added to this, the death of a 
daughter just verged into womanhood, and lovely in 
all that adorned human nature and added zest, refine- 
ment, enjoyment and pleasure to the household — these 
terrible afflictions bore heavily upon him, and, coupled 
with his physical sufferings, broke him down. He 
spent the winter of 1853-4 in Florida in quest of re- 
newed health, which w^as somewhat improved ; but on 
returning home in the spring, the weather became raw 



88 OLD VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 

and chilly, and he contracted a' severe cold, from the 
etfects of which he died on the 25th of January, 1855. 
His remains were interred near his residence, and sev- 
eral years since, his, as well as those of other members 
of his family, were removed and reinterred in Long- 
wood ceiiietery, near Liberty. 

In concluding this sketch, it is due to the memory 
of Mr. Wilson to say that but for his liberality and his 
personal iiiHuence and zeal, the Episcopal church now 
standing in Liberty would not have been erected when 
it was. He was firm in his faith ii\ the Christian reli- 
gion and in his affection for the Protestant Episcojml 
Church. l)Ut for the circumstances by which he was 
surrounded dui-ing his last illness, and the blighted 
hope of renewed health, he would have come out and 
united himself witli tlie church of his choice. 

R. I). B. 



SKETCH OF ROWLAND I). BUFORD. 

Among the many excellent clerks tliat the county of 
Bedford has been blessed with, none have been more 
skillful, intelligent and efficient than R. D. Buford. 
In some respects he was a model clerk, all the records 
and papers of his office l)eing kept in perfect order, and 
everything done in the right Avay and at the right time, 
which cannot be said for all clerks. At an early age he 
was placed by his father, Captain Paschal Buford, in 
the office of Colonel S. McD. Peid, who, for more than 
forty years, w^as the efficient and highly esteemed clerk 
of Rockbridge county, under whose eye and care young 
Buford went through a regular training as clerk ; and 
he well repaid all the care and pains bestowed on him 
by Ids excellent preceptor. After a service of several 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 89 

years as deputy, lie went to liis native county (Bedford) 
and was elected clerk of tlie circuit court in the year 
1855, wliicli office lie lield until 1865, wlien he was re- 
moved by military authority, but was restored in 1870, 
when he was again elected, and held the office until 
1881, when he was succeeded by McLeod Kasey, who 
lived but a httle more than one year, and was succeeded 
by the present clerk, J. Morton Speece, who was at one 
time his deputy, and who promises to be a worthy suc- 
cessor. 

E. D. Buford's skill, mteUigence and usefulness as 
a clerk have given him a wide-spread and well-deserved 
notoriety ; and he has been frequently called upon to 
examine clerks' offices and report their condition — a 
duty which he has always performed in the most satis- 
factory manner. Perhaps no clerk has ever been more 
attentive and more exact in the matter of charging fees 
than K. D. Buford, and his fee-books are models of 
neatness and correct charging. The only thing in the 
way of complaint that I have ever heard made against 
him (and which I considered rather a matter of praise 
than of complaint) was his extreme particularity in 
keeping the chancery and other papers closely under 
his eye and hand ; never allowing them to go out of 
his office without taking a receipt, and holding the law- 
yers to a strict account for them. If all clerks were 
equally particular, we should have less trouble and con- 
fusion growing out of lost papers. 

F. J. 



90 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

BLAND COUNTY. 



Bland was formed in 1801, from Wjtlie, Giles and 
Tazewell. The clerks have been (of botli courts): 

1. J. AV. Tracej, from 18G1 to 1865, - - 4 years. 

2. F. F. llepass, from 1865 to 1871, - - - 6 years. 

3. W. F. Hamilton, from 1871 to 1880, - years. 

4. J. M. Hamilton, from 1880 to 1881, - 1 year. 

5. W. TI. Crawford, from 1881 to 1885, - 4 years. 

6. C. r. Muncey, from 1885 to 1887, - - 2 years. 

And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



BOTETOURT COUNTY. 



Botetourt was formed from Aus^usta in 1769. It 
was then an immense territory, extending to the Mis- 
sissippi river on the west and the Ohio on the north, 
embracing the present States of Kentucky and West 
Virginia. The clerks have been : 

1. John May, from 1770 to 1778, - - - 8 years. 

2. David ]\[ay, from 1778 to 1788, - - - 10 years. 

3. Henry Bowyer, from 1788 to 1831, - - 43 years, 

4. Henry W. Bowyer, clerk cii'cuit court 

from 1831 to 1845, 14 years. 

5. George Neville, clerk circuit court from 

1845 to 1858, 13 years. 

6. Ferdinand Woltz, clerk county court from 

1838 to 1864, ..--'.-- -27 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 91 

7. George W. Wilson, clerk circuit court 

from 1864 to 1807, - 3 years. 

8. William M. Lackland, clerk county and 

circuit courts from 1865 to 1867, - - 2 years. 

9. John Camper, (military appointee), from 

1867 to 1870, -------- 3 years. 

10. Thomas J. Godwin, (circuit court), from 

1871 to 1873, (resigned), ----- 2 years. 

11. Brown M. Allen, clerk county and circuit 

courts from 1872 to 1883, (died), - - 11 years. 

12. B. W. Reid, clerk county and circuit 

courts from 1882 to 1883, - - - - 1 year. 

13. James McDowell, clerk county and cir- 

cuit courts from 1883 to 1887, - - - 1 years. 

SKETCH OF COLONEL HENRY BOWYER. 

Early in the war of the Revolution, Colonel Bowyer 
was living in Fincastle with his uncle, Mike Bow^yer, 
who carried on a store in that place, in which Henry 
Bowyer, then about sixteen years old, acted in the 
capacity of salesman and clerk. His uncle having de- 
termined to enter the army, upon leaving Fincastle for 
that purpose, committed the management of the store 
to his nephew, with directions to continue the business 
until the goods were disposed of. This, according to 
young Bowyer's mode of conducting the business, re- 
quired but a very short time ; for, burning with a desire 
to join the army himself, no sooner had his uncle taken 
his departure than he put up the w4iole establishment 
at auction, sold the goods for wdiat they w^ould bring, 
and immediately set out for the army. He first went 
to Philadelphia, but soon afterwards connected himself 
with Colonel Washington's cor^^s of cavalry, with which 



92 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

he continued to the end of the war. There is reason 
to beheve that at one time he served with the infantry, 
from a circumstance lie sometimes related as showing 
the undying hate which the British cherished towards 
the " rebels." It was this : After a skirmish, in which 
w^e were successful, young Bowyer was reloading his 
musket, and while doing so a wounded soldier of the 
enemy, wdio was lying on the ground near him, raised 
his head and begged for a drink of water. Having 
nothing else, Bowyer took off his cap, and dipping up 
some water from a stream just at hand, gave it to the 
soldier, who, after satisfying his thirst, spurted a mouth- 
ful of water into Bowyer\s face, with an oath of execra- 
tion. His first impulse was to run his bayonet through 
him, but seeing his helpless condition, he restrained 
himself. 

Colonel Bowyer was in that most bloody and disas- 
trous enoraffement known as Buford's defeat. He acted 
as aide to Buford on the occasion, and dui-ing the day 
was ordered to bear a flag of truce to Tarlton, the 
British commander. Colonel Bowyer remonstrated 
with Buford against the undertaking, telling him that 
he must needs pass between the two armies, then hotly 
engaged, and thus be exposed to the fire of botli. 
Colonel Buford replied ''that he had his orders." 
Bowyer immediately put spurs to his horse and gal- 
loped olf in the direction of Tarlton, who was sur- 
rounded by his staff. Just before reaching the spot 
where Tarlton was stationed, the horse of the latter 
had been shot, and in falling had caught Tarlton's leg 
under him, who, being much exasperated, and seeing 
Colonel Bowyer approaching with his flag of truce, 
ordered his men to " cut tlie d — d rebel down." No 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 93 

sooner was this spoken than tliey suiTOunded C/olonel 
Bowjer and commenced cutting at liini witli their 
swords. At tliis critical moment, however, a well- 
directed iire from onr men (some of whom were watch- 
ing with great interest the result of Colonel Bowjer's 
hazardous nndei-taking), set the horses of those around 
him to jumping and rearing, and thus an opening was 
made sufficient to pass through. Of tliis he instantly 
availed himself, neither he nor his horse, to use his own 
expression, '^ liking the company they were in." He 
w^as pursued for a considerable distance, and only 
escaped by leaping a high fence. Those in pursuit did 
not attempt to follow him, although close upon his 
heels. His horse afterwards fell from loss of blood 
from the wounds he received in the attempt to deliver 
the flag. By this time our men were running in every 
direction, and Colonel Bowyer met with one of them 
who was so badly wounded that he could scarcely walk. 
Dismounting, he put the wounded man on his horse 
and reached in safety a cabin near by in the woods, 
wdiich afforded him shelter for the night. 

At* one time Colonel Bowyer was stationed in Peters- 
burg. While there, he performed a feat of horsemanship 
which, in process of time, was somewhat exaggerated. 
As the story ran, he leaped over a covered wagon stand- 
ing in the street, and the prints of his horse's hoofs 
were A^sible for a long time afterwards. Upon this 
being repeated to Colonel Bowyer in his old age by a 
lady who lived in Petersburg at the time, he was much 
amused, and said it was true that he had leaped over a 
wagon, but it was a small one and had no cover on it. 
His own account of the affair was this : A company of 
officers, among whom was Colonel Washington, had 



^4 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

gone witli Colonel Bowyer to a party in the country, 
and retni-ning at night in a gallop, they encountered a 
wagon standing in the road. Colonel l)0wyer being 
mounted on a remarkably line horse, succeeded in 
clearing it, but none of the company followed him. It 
was about the same time that Peter Francisco performed 
his famous feat, in his encounter with nine British 
dragoons, one of whom he disarmed and put the others 
to flight. The two events were often spoken of to- 
gether, and tlius Colonel Bowyer's name was in every 
mouth. 

After the war was ended. Colonel Bowyer returned 
to Fincastle, and was subsequently elected l)y tlie jus- 
tices clerk of the county court of Botetourt, which 
office he held for forty-three years, with great accept- 
ance to the people of his county, to the bar and to the 
justices, many of whom were men of great distinction 
in their day and generation. Those were the ])almy 
days of the old county court system, when the justices 
were the first men of the county, and administered jus- 
tice in a way that has never been excelled, and perhaps 
not equaled by their successors. The clerks, too, were 
n^en of the highest standing and character, many of 
them well versed in statute law, and relied on by the 
court as advisers. Of this class was Colonel Bowyer, 
who enjoyed, in a high degree, the confidence and 
esteem of all who knew him. 

Colonel Bowyer died in 1832, aged seventy-two years, 
and was buried with military honors as a gallant soldier 
of the Bevolutionary army, lie married Miss Agatha 
Madison, daughter of Thomas Madison, of Botetourt, 
whose wife was a sister of Patrick Henry, and he was 
a brother of Bishop Madison. One of his sons, John, 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 95 

was for a long time a deputy of his father in the clerk's 
office, and another son, Henry W., succeeded his father 
as clerk of both the courts of Botetourt from the year 
1831 to 181:5. 

There is a personal reminiscence connected with 
Colonel Bowyer that I think worth adding to this 
biographical sketch. It will be remembered that Gen- 
eral LaFayette visited the United States in the year 
1823 ; and in the same year a meeting was appointed, 
at his request, (to be held at Columbia, South Carolina), 
of a large number of his compatriots in arms, who, 
with General LaFayette, had been connected with the 
Southern army under General Greene. Colonel Bow- 
yer attended that meeting, with two other officers of 
" Lee's Legion," (with which, as a portion of Colonel 
Washington's corps of cavalry. Colonel Bowyer was 
connected), viz., Major James Garden (who published 
a volume of "Anecdotes of the Revolutionary War") 
and my uncle, the late Judge Peter Johnston. These 
three appointed a meeting the following summer at 
Botetourt Springs, then the residence of my father, 
Charles Johnston ; and the three old friends and 
brothers in arms were together under my father's roof 
for several weeks in the summer of 1824. And a fine 
time they had of it — going over the stirring events of 
the war, and relating various incidents in which they 
had borne a common part and a common danger. 
Amongst other things talked of and discussed was that 
curious question about which a great deal has been said 
and written, viz., the identity of Captain Michael Ru- 
dolph (who was also connected with " Lee's Legion," 
and therefore well known to the three officers above 
mentioned of the same command) with Marshal I^ey, 



96 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

who has a world-wide fame, and was honored by Na- 
poleon Bonaparte with the title of "the bravest of the 
brave." They all had a vivid recollection of Captain 
Rndolph, and knew that he was conspicuous for his 
gallantry in nearly all the battles of the Sonthei*n de- 
partment ; in fact, no othcer in (Greene's army was 
oftener complimented for good conduct. They had 
heard, too, of what had been said about his career after 
the close of the war'; that he had had domestic diffi- 
culties ; liad left America on a merchant vessel, and 
established a tobacco store in Bordeaux ; of his having 
been recognized in Paris by Mr, Livingston, the Ameri- 
can minister, who always insisted that he was no other 
than Marshal Xey. But against all this Avas the stub- 
born fact that Marshal Nev (accordinf^ to all the au- 
thorities on the subject) was not born until 1770, and 
could not have l)een more than sixteen years old when 
the Revolutionary war commenced, nor more than 
twenty-one when he had reached almost the zenitli of 
his fame, and when Mr. Livingston saw him in Paris 
and recognized him as Captain Budolph whom he had 
known in America. Xotwithstanding this discrepancy 
of dates, however, there are many Avho have believed, 
and will continue to believe, that Captain Michael Ru- 
dolph, of the American army, and ]\Iicliael Xey, Mar- 
shal of France, were the same person. F. J. 




OLD VlKCilNIA CLKHKS. 97 

OTHER CLERKS OF BOTETOURT. 

My personal acquaintance witli the clerks of Bote- 
tourt county during the last fifty years enables me to 
speak of them knowingly. 

Henry W. Bowyer, who succeeded his father. Colonel 
Henry Bowyer, was a well-trained and skillful clerk, 
but was somewhat unfortunate in his manner, which 
was stiff and formal towards the people generally, while 
he was sociable and pleasant with a small circle of inti- 
mate friends. The result was, that he was never very 
popular, and if he had been dependent on a popular 
vote would probably not have held his office as long as 
he did, which w^as fourteen years. 

George Xeville, who had been the de2)uty of H. 
W. Bowyer, and succeeded him as clerk of the circuit 
court, was a very good clerk, and very popular. 

Ferdinand AYoltz, who had been well trained in the 
office of Henry W. Bowyer, (having entered it as deputy 
at the age of thirteen years), became one the most skill- 
ful clerks that Botetourt county ever had, being an in- 
telligent gentleman with pleasing, genial manners. In 
former times, much more than in these latter days, 
young men entered the clerk's office as a school, where 
they could learn methodical habits of business, besides 
many other things that would fit them for the active 
duties of life. !N'ot a few^ applied themselves to the 
study of the law, and became distinguished members 
of the legal profession, and some of these (as the late 
Judges Brooke, Pendleton and Coulter, of the court of 
appeals, and Judge TVingfield, of the circuit court of the 
Bedford circuit) besides many others, became ornaments 
of the bench. The old clerks held their offices during 



98 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

life or, what was the same thing, during good behavior, 
and therefore were not afraid of being opposed by their 
deputies wlien their terms expired ; and tliey were will- 
ing to teach them all they could, not keeping them con- 
fined to the mere drudgery of tlie office. This is not 
so at the present day, when the clerk is looking for- 
ward to a re-election, and finds, or thinks he finds, it to 
be to his interest to teacli his deputies just as little as 
possible, lest they may become his competitors for the 
office. The result is that, generally speaking, the dep- 
uties have no such training as is indispensable to make 
a really good clerk. This was not so with Ferdinand 
Woltz, in whose favor his predecessor, Henry AV. Bow- 
yer, declined to be a candidate in the year 1S88, and he 
was appointed by the justices clerk of the county courts 
H. W. Bowyer continuing to hold the clerkship of the 
circuit court, under the ap])(>intment af Judge Allen, 
until 18-1:5, when he declined a re-a])pointment, and F. 
AVoltz became the clerk of both courts, and held both 
offices, by subsequent elections by the people, to the 
close of the war in 18(>5. Just at the time when he 
became clerk of the county court (1888) the present 
writer was appointed by Judge Allen clerk of the cir- 
cuit court of Roanoke, when F. Woltz kindly offered 
to aid me, and did aid me, not only at the first term of 
Roanoke circuit court, held in September, 1838, but at 
one or more subsequent terms, and I take i^leasure in 
acknowledging my obligations for the same. As we" 
commenced our career as clerks at the same time, we 
ended them at the same time, (in 18C5), having held 
our respective offices for twenty-seven years, during the 
whole of which time we were on ternis.pf the most 
pleasant and friendly intercourse with each otlier. 



Or.n VIR<rINIA CLERKS. 99 

F. AVoltz was succeeded b}^ William M. Lacklanlt, 
who liad been deputy under H. W. Bowjer, before the 
war, iBtudied and practiced law for a while, and was 
afterwards teller of the Bank of Virginia, at Buchanan. 
lie had the training and the capacity to make a first- 
rate clerk, but became intemperate and careless as to 
his official duties, and held the office but a few years, 
when he was succeeded hy Bkown M. Allen, who, 
though he had not the training that his predecssors had, 
became a skillful and useful clerk, and was very popu- 
lar. He was elected twice by popular vote, and had 
just entered upon his third term when he fell a prey to 
consumption, and died greatly regretted. 

Thomas J. Godw^in succeeded John Camper, mili- 
tary appointee, as clerk of the circuit court in 1870, 
and though he, like Allen, had no training or experience, 
made as good a clerk as could well be without such 
training and experience. He served but one term, and 
could have been elected again if he had become a can- 
didate, but he positively declined, much to the regret 
of every one, for he enjoyed the confidence and esteem 
of the people of Botetourt as few men have done. 

The service of George W. Wilson was during the 
last years of the war, when the courts did very little 
business, and the clerks had no opportunity to show 
their ability. That of B. W. Keid was even shorter 
than Wilson's. During the four years of J. Mc- 
Dowell's service he developed a decided capacity for 
the work of a clerk, and the office was left by him in 
very good condition. 

LofC. 



100 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 



BRUNSWICK COUNTY. 



Brunswick was formed in 1720, from Surrj and Isle 
of Wiolit. Tlie clerks have been as follows: 

Of the County Court. 

1. Driirv Stith, from 1782 to 17JbO, - - - 8 years. 

2. Sterling Clack, from 17-10 to 1751, - - 11 years. 

3. Littleton Tazewell, from 1751 to 1757, - 6 years. 

4. Archibald Wager, from 1757 to 1760, - 3 years. 

5. John Robinson, from 1760 to 1770, - 10 years. 
<». Edward Fisher, from February 26, 1770, 

to November 20, 1770, ----- mos. 

7. Nathl Edwards, Jr., from 1770 to 1771, 1 year. 

8. Peter Pelham, Jr., from February 25, 

1771, to March 26, 1771 (resigned), - 1 mo. 

9. Drury Stith, from 1771 to 1789, - - - 18 years. 

10. John Jones, from 1789 to 1793 (died), - 4 years. 

11. Charles Binns Jones, from 1793 to 1797, 4 years. 

12. Herbert Hill, from 1797 to 1816, - - - 19 years. 

13. Robert Turnbull, from 1816 to 1839, - 23 years. 

14. Charles Turnbull, from 1840 to 1S43 

(resigned), - 3 years. 

15. Edward Randolph Turnbull, from 1843 • 

to 1885, - - - 42 years. 

16. Robert Turnbull, from 1885 to 1887, - 2 yeai*s. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

Of the Circuit Court. 
T. Edward Randolph Turnbull, Jr., from 

1881 to 1883 (^resigned), 2 years. 

2. Charles Edward May, from 1883 to 1887, 4 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887 for six years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 101 

CLERKS OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY. 

The first clerk of tlie county was Drury Stith. 
Having been commissioned bj Hon. Charles Carter, 
secretaiy of Virginia, this, the first incumbent of the 
clerkship of the conntj of Brunswick, qualified as 
clerk on the 11th day of May, 1732, and held the ofiice 
until his death in June, 1740. lie was the Colonel 
Drury Stith mentioned by Colonel William Byrd in 
"A Journey to the Land of Eden" (Westover MSS.), 
in the paragraph wherein the author, under the date of 
September 13, 1733, says: '^ By the way, I sent a run- 
ner half a mile out of the road to Colonel Drury 
Stith's, who was so good as to come to us. We cheered 
our hearts with three bottles of pretty good Madeira^ 
which made Drury talk very hopefully of his copper 
mine. We easily prevailed with him to let us have 
his company, upon condition we would take the mine 
in our way." 

The subject of this sketch was a son of Colonel John 
Stith, of Charles City county, a man of prominence 
and influence in the colony as early as 1676, a fact 
attested by his being disfranchised along with Colonel 
Edward Hill, of the same county, by the adherents of 
Nathaniel Bacon by an act of assembly passed during 
the period of Bacon's rebellion (chapter xx Bacon's 
laws, 2 Henning's Statutes at Large, jDage 364), but 
which, alons: with other acts and orders of the same 
assembly, was subsequently annulled by a royal procla- 
mation. Colonel John Stith subsequently (in 1693) 
holding ofiice in the colony as a member of the house of 
burgesses. 

Colonel Drury Stith was an uncle of Kev. Wilham 



102 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

Stitli, the liistoriau, and in subsequent generations, 
during the last one hundred and fifty years, has been 
represented by a large number of descendants in Vir- 
ginia and other Southern States, among them many 
persons of prominence and distinction in public and 
private life. His son, Drury Stith, represented the 
county of Brunswick in the liouse of burgesses in 
1748. His wife was Susannah Bathurst, a daughter of 
Laimcelot Bathurst, who emigrated from England to 
Virginia in the latter part of the seventeenth century, 
and was the second son of tlie Sir Edward Bathurst 
knighted in 1043 by Charles I. 

Of the descendants of Colonel Prury Stitli at least 
eiglit became clerks, certainly the following : Griffin 
Stith, one of the early clerks of the county court of 
Northampton ; Drury Stitli, Charles Turnbull, Edward 
Kandolph Turnbull, Bobert Turnbull, respectively the 
ninth, fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth clerks of the 
county court of Brunswick ; Edward Randolph Turn- 
bull, Jr., the first clerk of the circuit court of Bruns- 
wick after the separation of the ofiices ; David Meade 
Bernard, the second clerk of the corporation court of 
Petersburg, and Jolm Randolph Stitli, one of the clerks 
of the county court of Northumberland. 

The second clerk of the countv court of Brunswick 
was Sterling Clack, who was commissioned clerk by 
the same secretary by whom his predecessor was com- 
missioned. He qualified as clerk on the 5th day of 
June, 1740, and held the office until March 26, 1751. 

Sterling Clack's successor was Littleton Tazewell, 
who was commissioned clerk by the Hon. Thomas Nel- 
son, deputy secretary of Virginia, qualified as clerk 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 103 

March 26, 1751, and held the office until April 26, 
1757. 

The fourtli clerk of the county court of Brunswick 
was Archibald Wager, lie was commissioned clerk 
by the same secretary who commissioned his prede- 
cessor, qualified as such on the 26th day of April, 1757, 
and held the office until the 5th day of February, 1760. 

Archibald Wager's successor was Jonx Eobinson, 
who was commissioned clerk by Hon. Thomas ]S"elson, 
deputy secretary of Virginia, qualified as such on the 
5th day of February, 1760, and held the office until 
the 26th day of February, 1770, when he resigned his 
office and removed from the county. 

John Kobinson's successor, and the sixth clerk of 
the county court of Brunswick, was Edward Fisher. 
Nathaniel Edwards received a commission as clerk from 
Hon. Thomas Nelson, deputy secretary of Virginia, 
but on the 26th day of February, 1770, the justices of 
the county, being of opinion that they had the power 
of appointment, refused to allow him to qualify and 
appointed Edward Fisher clerk, who qualified on that 
day, and held office until the 26th day of November, 
1770, when he was succeeded by the duly commis- 
sioned clerk, said Nathaniel Edwards, Jr. On said 
last mentioned day said Edwards produced before the 
justices of the county a writ of mandajnus command- 
ing them to receive and qualify him as clerk under the 
commission issued to him as above stated, and he ac- 
cordingly was allowed to qualify on that day, and held 
the office until the 25th day of February, 1771. 

The next and eighth clerk of the county court was 
Peter Pelham, Jr., who qualified as clerk under a 



104 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

commission from Secretary Xelson on the 25th day of 
February, 1771, and held the office until the 26th day 
of March, 1781, when he resigned, "he having been 
elected," says the record, "to be clerk of Greensville 
iiounty, which had recently been established, his land 
being located in that county." 

The next and ninth clerk of Brunswick county was 
Drury Stith, who on said 26th day of March, 1781, 
was appointed clerk by the justices of the county in 
the place of Peter Pelham, Jr., and qualified on that 
day. He held the office until his death in eTuly, 1789. 

The subject of this sketch was a son of Griffin Stith, 
who for several years was the clerk- of Northampton 
county, Virginia, and who was a grandson of Colonel 
Drury Stith, the first clerk of Brunswick county. Griffin 
Stith being a son of Drury Stith, who was a burgess 
from Brunswick in 1748. He left a number of descend- 
ants, among them a sou, Judge Griffin Stith, of South- 
ampton county, Virginia, who died a member of the 
general court of Virginia at an early age in 1817, and 
Judge Drury A. llinton, a member of the present su- 
preme court of appeals of Virginia, who is a great- 
grandson. - 

The next and tenth clerk of Brunswick county was- 
John Jones, who was appointed clerk by the justices, 
qualified on the 27th day of July, 1789, and held the 
office until his death in January, 1793. 

The successor of John Jones was Charles Binns- 
Jones, a son, who was appointed and qualified as clerk 
on the 28th day of January, 1793, and held the office 
until his death in October, 1797. 

The next and twelfth clerk of the court was Herbert 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 105 

HiLJ>, who was appointed and cpialified as clerk Octo- 
ber 23, 1797, and held the office until his death in 
December, 1816. 

The successor of IIerl)ert Ilill was Robert Turn- 
bull, wlio was elected by the justices, qualified as clerk 
on the 23d day of December, 1816, and held the office 
until his death on the 17th day of December, 1839. 

The subject of this sketch was a son of Robert 
Turnbull, who came to this country from Scotland be- 
fore the Reyolutionary war, and who was a large import- 
ing merchant, the name of the firm of which he was a 
member being Dundass and Turnbull. The younger 
Robert Turnbull was born at White Hill, Prince George 
county, Virginia, about three miles from Petersburg, 
on the 21st of December, 1778. He graduated with 
distinction at Harvard College, Massachusetts, and af- 
terwards practiced law. On the 24th of December, 
1801, he married Elizabeth Jones Stith, who was a de- 
scendant of Colonel Drury Stith, the first clerk of the 
county. Soon after marrying the young couple re- 
moved to the county of Brunswick. At the time of 
his election to the clerkship of the county court of 
Bruns^\dck, he had been the clerk of the old district 
court. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Turnbull raised a large 
family of children, three of whom are now living. 
Mrs. Turnbull lived to an advanced age, and died in 
the year 1871. Mr. Turnbull was greatly respected by 
the people of the county. He was the friend and con- 
fidential adviser of a large number of its citizens. At 
his death resolutions of res]3ect to his memory were 
passed and spread upon the records of the court, and 
it is said that his old classmates at Harvard planted a 
tree at the colleo:e in commemoration of him. 



106 OLD VIRGINIA CI-KKKS. 

The next and fourteentli clerk of Brun.swick was 
Charles Turnbull, the third son of Robert Turubull, 
his immediate predecessor. lie was elected clerk by 
tlie justices on the 27th day of January, 1840, with the 
understanding that his brother, Edward R. Turnbull, 
who was then under age, l)nt had been deputy for his 
father, Robert Turnbull, deceased, should discharge the 
<luties of the office. On the 2Tth of February, 1843, 
just l)efore the said E. R. Turnbull became of age, 
Chai'les Turnbull resigned as clerk in order that said 
E. R. Turnbull might he a candidate for the office. 

Charles Turnbull was l)orn in the county of Bruns- 
wick, A"ii"ginia, on the 5th day of April, 1806, and was 
one of the most po])ular men that ever lived in the 
county. He was a life-long democrat in politics, and 
soon after he became twentv-one vears of a^e he was 
elected as a delegate to represent the county in the Gen- 
eral Assembly of Virginia, in which body he served 
for several years. During this period he defeated some 
of the most prominent men in the county. It is said 
<^)f him that he gave notice that he would represent the 
county as long as he had opposition, and that, as soon as 
his political opponents found there was no chance to 
defeat him, they ceased to put up a candidate, and he 
then declined to be a candidate himself. He was sheriff 
of the county for a number of years, and was never 
defeated for any office he asked at the hands of the 
people. He died in the year 1874. His only son, 
Robert B. Turnbull, is now (1888) sheriff of the county. 

The next and fifteenth clerk of Brunswick was Ed- 
ward Randolph Turnbull, wdio was unanimously 
elected clerk by the justices on the 24tli day of April, 
1848, and was clerk of the cn-cuit and countv courts 



OLD VIEGINIA CLERKS. lOT 

continuou.slv until be was reinoved by tbe militaiy au- 
tborities of tbe State on tbe 5tb day of Maj, 1869, 
wben F. M. Kimball, an armj officer and bead of tbe- 
Freedman's Bureau, was appointed clerk. Under an 
arrangement made witb tbe. military appointee, be 
qualified as deputy clerk, tbe understanding being tbat 
be was to liave entire cbarge and control of tbe office, 
and tbat Kimball, tbe military appointee, was not to 
come into tbe office except on otber business — an ar- 
rangement satisfactory to botb parties and to tbe public, 
and wbicb was observed in good faitb until Mr. Turn- 
bull, on tbe 25tb of April, 1870, receiving bis appoint- 
ment from Hon. Robert M. Mallory, judge of tbe 
county court, under "tbe enabling act" of Marcb 5tb, 
1870, was restored to bis old office. In tbe fall of 1870, 
at tbe first general election beld under tbe new consti- 
tution, be defeated tbe nominee of tbe republican party 
by two bundred and fifty votes, altbougb tbe i*epu1)licau 
majority in tbe county at tbat time was over a tliou- 
sand. It would be invidious to draw comparisons among 
gentlemen wbere all bave been "clean in tbeir office," 
but one may be pardoned for saying of Brunswick's 
late clerk, tbat be was ''' prim^is inter pares.- ^ To bis 
excellent qualifications be added a courtesy and urbanity 
of manner and evenness of temper wbicb rarely, if 
ever, forsook bim amid tbe most exacting calls to duty^ 
and wbicb made bim a great favorite witb tbe public. 
So tborougbly equipped was be for tbe position of a 
clerk, botb by natural aptitude and tborougb training 
under tbe eye of a master, be performed bis duties 
witb an easy gracefulness, as if tbe very genius of tbe 
place bad enabled bim to " snatcb a grace beyond the 
reacb of art." 



108 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

Ill acUlitiuii to being an accomplished clerk, he was a 
lawyer also, of fine business qualifications, and enjoyed 
for a short ])eriod ([iiite an extensive practice, particu- 
larly in the United States court in bankruptcy cases. 

At a public meeting held in the court-house on the 
25th day of May, 18S5, the following resolutions, pre- 
sented by Colonel Edward Di-omgoole, were adopted 
as a tribute to his memory : 

" BRrNswicK County Court, May Term, 4885. 

*' AVhereas, since the last term of the court death 
lias removed from our midst E. R. Turnbull, late clerk 
of this court, a position which he filled with ability, 
diligence and fidelity for more than forty years ; there- 
fore, 

''' Hesolved^ That the court and the members of the 
bar and citizens generally fully appreciated his eminent 
usefulness as an accomplished clerk, his great worth as 
a private citizen and his exemplary bearing in the social 
sphere of life, and, while bowing in humble resignation 
to the Divine will, are most seriously and impressively 
affected by his death. .11 is thorough acrpiaintance with 
the duties of his oftice, ac(piired under excellent early 
training and matured by his own personal experience, 
supplemented by a courtesy which was uniform and 
attentive, made him an ofticer of rare woi*th, of great 
usefulness and extensive popularity. 

^'Iiesolved, That we tender to his bereaved family 
our heartfelt sympathies, with the assurance that we 
shall ever retain in our memories most kindly recollec- 
tions of his many admirable qualities and most excel- 
lent traits of character. 

'"''Resolved^ That these resolutions be presented to the 
court for insertion among its records, and that a copy 



Ol.n VIRGINIA CLERKS. 109 

thereof, attested h\ the seal of the court, be ti-ansinitted 
to the familj of tlie deceased." 

Several members of the bar spoke tenderly and feel- 
ingly of the merits of the deceased — among them Colo- 
nel E. Dromgoole, who, opening his remarks by saying 
that perhaps the best tribute he could pay his departed 
friend, tlie late clerk, would be simply reading of the 
resolutions which he had prepared in honor of his 
memoiw, said, however, that the personal relations 
which for nearly forty years had existed between the 
deceased and himself, without a single incident to 
weaken their strength or break their uniformity, justi- 
fied him in adding a few more words. Colonel Drom- 
goole then, in eloquent and fitting terms, eulogized his 
deceased friend. 

The present incumbent of the office of the county 
court of Brunswick is Kobert Turnbull, the oldest 
son of E. K. Turnbull, the last mentioned clerk. On 
the 9th day of May, 1885, he was apponited clerk by 
the judge of the county court to fill the vacancy occa- 
sioned by the death of his father, and was elected by 
the people at the general election held in May, 188T, 
for the term of six yers. After the year 1880, when 
it was ascertained that there were over fifteen thousand 
inhabitants in the county, the offices wei-e divided, and 
in 1881, a separate clerk was elected for the circuit 
court. 

Robert Turnbull was born in Lawrenceville, Bruns- 
wick county, Yirginia, on the 11th day of January, 
1850. He was deputy clerk for his father for a num- 
ber of years. He entered the University of Yirginia 
in 1870 as a student of law, and took the degree of 
Bachelor of Law in one session. He soon afterwards 



110 OLD YTRGTNTA CLERKS. 

commenced tlie practice of ];i\v in liis own and tLe ad- 
joining counties, and, at the time of his appointment as 
clerk, was doing a large practice, which he still retains, 
his holding the office not interfering with his practice 
as a lawyer in the adjoining connties or in the circnit 
conrt of his own county, 'At the county elections in 
May, 188Y, a great effort was made to defeat him, upon 
the ground that he w\^s a democrat, and Ijecause the 
Turnbull family had held the office for so long a time. 
The republicans made a regular nomination for the 
office, and the canvass was the most exciting ever had 
in the county. Xotwithstanding the fact that the re- 
publican majority in the county is at least five hundred 
Mr. Turnbull defeated the republican candidate by five 
hundred and five votes. It is thought that his popu- 
larity and influence greatly contributed to tlie defeat 
of the republican candidates for ti"ea;^urer, sheriff and 
cii'cuit court clerk. 

('iK<;rrr coikt ([.kkks. 

Edward ItAXDoLPJi Turxiufj,, Jr., was elected the 
first clerk of the circuit court of the county of Bruns- 
wick in Mav, 1881, held the office for one term, and 
declined to ao:ain l>ecome a candidate for the office. He 
became a candidate for the office at the recpiest of his 
father, E. R. Turnbull, who was prior to that time 
clerk of both courts. The holding of public positions, 
however, was not suited to his taste, and in 1883 he 
entered the University of Virginia as a student of 
medicine, and took the degree of M. D. in one session. 
He afterwards pursued his studies in Xew York, and 
is now a pi-acticing ])hysician, with every prospect of 
succes.s. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. Ill 

His successor in office is Charles Edward May, who 

was elected clerk of the circuit court of Brunswick 

in May, 1887, defeating his republican opponent by 

four hundred majority, and now holds the office. He 

is a grandson of the late David May, who for many years 

was a prominent lawyer and highly esteemed citizen 

of Petersbui-g, Virginia, and is a son of Major John 

P. May, of the Twelfth Virginia infantry. Confederate 

States army, who was killed at the second battle of 

Manassas, August 30, 18G2. For several years prior to 

his election lie had been deputy clerk of the county 

and circuit courts of the countv. 

G. S. B. 



BUCHANAN COUNTY. 



Buchanan w^as formed in 1858, from parts of Taze- 
well and Kussell. The clerks have been (of both 
courts) : 

1. Jas. H. Gillespie, from 1858 to 1863, - 5 years. 

2. Geo. W. Hogy (vacancy of two years), 

from 1865 to 1869, ------ 4 years. 

3. Joseph Ilibbitts, from 1869 to 1870, - 1 year. 

4. Geo. ^Y. Sanders, from 1870 to 1875, - 5 years. 

5. John S. EatM, from 1875 to 1881, - - 6 years. 

6. Joseph Hibbitts, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 

Ke-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



112 OLD VIKGIXIA CLKRKS. 



BUCKINGHAM COUNTY. 



Bnckin^haiii was furmcMl in ITdl from Albemarle. 
The clerks have been: 

1. Coh)nel Bell, from 17<)1 to 1770, 9 years. 

2. Kolfe Eldridge,Sr., from 1770 to 1806, - 3G years. 

3. Kolfe Eldridge, Jr., from 1806 to 1858, - 52 years. 

4. Kobei-t K. Irving, from 1858 to 1866, - 8 years. 

5. Bryce M. Pratt (military appointee), from 

1866 to 1870, -------- 4 years. 

6. Peter A. Forbes, from 1870 to 1887, - 17 years. 

Re-elected in 1887 for six years. 

SKETCH OK KOLFE ELDKIDGE. 
BY WILLIAM M. CABELL. 

The county of Buckingham Avas formed in the year 

1761. The first clerk of the county was Colonel 

Bell. Tradition represents him to have been a man of 
fine character, good attainments, and an excellent clerk. 
He lived until about the year 1770. lie left an hon- 
ored name and descendants who are worthy of him. 
He was succeeded in the clerkship by Robert Eldridge, 
Sr., who at the time of his appointment was writing in 
the chancery clerk's office at AVilliamsburg. He located 
at a place about eight miles east of the court-house and 
established the clerk's office at his home, which he called 
*' Subpoena," and there all the business of the clerkship 
was done, except what appertained to the session of 
the courts. On court days, the necessary records and 
court paj^ers w^ere carried from "Subpama" to the 
court-house. They were not very cumbrous then, and 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 113 

were readily borne on liorseback by Mr. Eldridge's 
bodv-servant, called "Mars." The court-house was a • 
wooden structure, standing in a field west of the pres- 
ent village, and not a vestige of it now remains. 

Rolfe Eldridge, Jr., the subject of this brief and 
imperfect sketch, entered the office of his father in the 
year 1795, at the early age of fifteen, and qualified as 
deputy clerk in 1797, and remained in the office as 
deputy until about the year 1808, when the advancing 
years of Rolfe Eldridge, Sr., caused him to surrender 
the clerkship. Rolfe Eldridge, Jr., was appointed his 
successor, and he at once moved very near the court- 
house, so as to be convenient to the courts, the business 
of which was then rapidly increasing. He soon there- 
after married Miss Mary Moseley and established him- 
self at his home about a mile from the court-house, 
where he lived until the time of his death, which oc- 
curred in the spring of 1861. 

At the time Rolfe Eldridge became clerk, the tenure 
of office was during good behavior. The old clerks 
took pride in their offices ; they made it a specialty, 
and became very perfect in the discharge of their 
duties. Mr. Eldridge was the contemporary and peer 
of Samuel M. Garland and Robert Tinsley of Amherst, 
Spotswood Garland and Robert C. Cutler of Kelson, 
Alexander and Ira Garrett of Albemarle, Blake Wood- 
son of Cumberland, Branch J. Worsham of Prince 
Edward, AYinslow Robinson of Charlotte, and Henry 
F. Bocock of Appomattox. The counties contiguous 
to Buckingham are alone mentioned. The State was 
filled with just such clerks, who held duty to be the 
sublimest word of our language, and who made a life- 
work of their offices. 



114- OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

In 1825 a large and imposing, though inconvenient, 
court-liouse was built on the public square in Maysville, 
the county seat. It was planned by Mr. Jefferson and 
modeled after some Greek temple. This building, with 
all the records, was destroyed by iire about midnight 
the 2f)th of February, 18G9, and the life-work of Colo- 
nel ]>ell, Rolfe Eldridge, Sr., and Kolfe Eldridge, Jr., 
passed away. There was not a paper left to bear wit- 
ness to their skill and fidelity for one hundred years. 

Ilolfe Eldridge, Jr., was clerk of both courts, under 
Judges William Daniel, Sr., Daniel A. Wilson, Sr., 
and William Leigh. lie pre])ared all the most im- 
portant entries himself. lie possessed a wonderful 
facility in fashioning orders to meet special cases under 
new laws. lie had a form-book pre23ared by himself 
to meet all ordinary cases, and as far as it went was as 
perfect as the form-book of Conway Robinson, Esq. 
lie invariably presided at the clerk's table in court ; 
he supervised the preparation of all the orders in the 
office, read them himself, standing, in court, and during 
the sessions of the courts, thouo-h livino* onlv a mile 
from the court-house, he boarded at the hotel opposite 
the court-house, and gave his personal attention to 
every detail of his office. He was systematic and 
painstaking ; he rarely mislaid a paper — he never lost 
one. He had received only the common education of 
the country, but was a man of capital sense, great in- 
dependence and integrity, an excellent statute lawyer, 
an accomplished draftsman, and he aided the people 
in the preparation of many of their papers, and ad- 
vised with them generally about their affairs ; and 
though taciturn, and in some respects peculiar, he 
wielded great influence in hi«^ county ; and when in 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 115 

1852 the old clerks had to pass in review before the 
electors, though he had opposition, he received all the 
votes on a full poll except thirty-four.'^ He declined 
re-election in 1858, and was succeeded by his son-in- 
law, Robert K. Irving, Esq., who tilled the office most 
acceptably until A^irginia became "Military District 
No. 1." Then the old clerks were ordered out, and 
strangers filled the places of those whom we loved and 
admired. 

Rolfe Eldridge j^ossessed a handsome private estate, 
the profit whereof and the large income from his office 
was devoted to the unostentatious support of his family 
and to acts of liberality and charity. During his man- 
hood of sixty years, almost continuously some widow 
or orphan found under his roof sheltering and pro- 
tecting care. " He did good by stealth, and blushed 
to find it fame.*" He was all his life an earnest mem- 
ber of the Presbyterian Church (old school). He cared 
nothing for general society, but was devoted to his 
family, his church, his friends, his duties. He read 
and studied much of theology, metaphysics and history. 
He w^as never known to read but one novel, and that 
was the " Prairie Bird," the scene of which was laid 
in the "wild West," and painted Indian life. This 
little book afforded him intense gratification ; it brought 
before him traditions of "his kin." He was descended 
from John Polf e and Pocahontas. He was an especial 
admirer of plain but sterling w^orth. John Marshall 

* His own comment on this almost unanimous election by the peo- 
ple was, that ■while it was highly gratifying as a testimony of the esti- 
mate in which he was held by his fellow-citizens, he preferred the 
smaller constituency of a court of justices. Spotswood Garland, the old 
clerk of Nelson county, used often to quote this as a wise speech of Mr. 
Eldridge. And so it was.— F. J. 



116 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

was to him the highest type of manliood, and with hia 
own hand he hung a wood-cut of this great jurist in 
his sitting-room, so that it was the first object which 
greeted the eye. It remained where he had placed it 
until many years after his death. lie was very fond 
of conversing of theology, the Bible and its truths, 
but of his personal experience as a Christian he spoke 
but little. When he retired from all business, and the 
sands of life ran low, he often uttered words of thank- 
fulness and adoration to the God who had so greatly 
blessed him. lie died at the ao^e of eii>:htv-one, leav- 
ing a widow and eight children surviving him. His 
end was painless and peaceful, and he passed away 
like the ''Heeting shadow of the summer cloud" on the 
mountain side. 

The writer of this brief sketch qualified to practice 
law in the county of Buckingham on the 5th of April, 
1846; it was the first day of the circuit court; the 
docket was very large and the cases important ; Judge 
Daniel A. AYilson was presiding. The oaths of an 
attorney were administered by Rolfe Eldridge, who 
stood at the desk. In turning to the bar, the eye rested 
upon Sterling Claiborne, of Nelson ; John Thompson, 
Jr., and Joseph K. Irving, of Amherst; Charles L. 
Mosby and James Garland, of Lynchburg ; Thomas S. 
Bocock, of Appomattox ; Sanniel C. Anderson, Wm. 
Cabell Flournoy, Stephen O. Southall and John T. 
Thornton, of Prince Edward; Willis AVilson, Henry 
P. Irving, T. Montague Isbell and Francis D. Irving, 
of Cumberland; George W. Pandolph and John B. 
Minor, of Albemarle; WilHs P. Bocock, George II. 
Matthews, Joseph Fu(]ua, John W. Ilaskins, Benjamin 
J. Darneille, Henry Spencer and Samuel J. Booker, 



OLD VIKGINTA CLERKS. IIY 

of BiickiiiglianL Of this splendid aggregation of mind 
and manhood, only three remain, to- wit: Thomas S. 
Bocock, John B. Minor aiid Francis D. Irving. All 
the rest have crossed 

" That river whose narrow tide 

The Isnown and unlinown worlds divide." 



CAMPBELL COUNTY. 



Campbell was formed in 178-1- from Bedford. The 
clerks have been : 

• Of the County Court. 

1. Robert Alexander, from 1784 to 1819, - 35 years. 

2. John Alexander, from 1819 to 1838, - 19 years. 

3. William A. Clement, from 1838 to 1 81:5, 7 years, 

4. George Wm. Dabney,from 1845 to 1859, 14 years. 

5. John D. Alexander, from 1859 to 1865, 6 years, 

6. Wilham A Clement, from 1865 to 1868, 3 years. 
1^" Military appointee from 1868 to 1871. 

7. Pvobert W. Withers, from 1871 to 1887, 16 years. 

Of the Circuit Court. 

1. Robert Alexander, from 1809 to 1819, - 10 years. 

2. John Alexander, from 1819 to 1838, - 19 years. 

3. John D. Alexander, from 1838 to 1868, 30 years. 

4. Robert A. Clement, from 1871 to 1886, 15 years. 

5. W. K. Alexander, app'd^rc* tern, to 1887, 1 year. 

6. W. E. Reid, elected May, 1887, for six years. 



lis OLD VIKGIXIA CLEKKS. 

t^^^ It will l)e .seen that the Alexander family, 
throiigli father, son and grandson, lield the office of 
clerk for nearly a lumdred years, and they were all re- 
puted to be fine clerks, as were their successors, the 
Clements ; also, George AVm. I)al)ney, who was the son 
of Chiswell Dahney, of Lynchburg, one of the most 
elegant and accomplished gentlemen of his day, and 
Ids son ecpially so. He made an admirable clerk, keep- 
ing the })apers of his office in the most perfect order, 
and his handwriting was remarkably fine. 

llobert Alexander, the lirst clerk, was the deputy of 
James Steptoe, the old clerk of 1 Bedford, from about 
the year 1772, to 1784, when Campl)ell county was 
formed, and llobert Alexander l)ecame the first clerk. 
The Jllcliraond Standard, a weekly newspaper, which 
had a brief but brilliant existence of about four years, 
published in the paper of September lltli, 18S0, an 
article from Mr. li. A. Brock, the well-known and 
accomplished secretary of the Historical Society of 
Virginia, and Alexander Brown, Esq., of [N^orwood, 
Xelson county, Virginia, (who are the highest authori- 
ties upon eyery thing connected with the old families 
of Virginia and their ancestry), entitled "Archil)ald 
Alexander, of Scotland, and his Descendants in Ire- 
land and America," from which article and the notes 
appended thereto, we learn that Jiohert Alexander, 
father of liobert, who was the first clerk of Campbell 
county, emigrated from Pennsylvania(where he had been 
engaged in teaching a classical school) to Augusta county, 
Virginia, about the year 1747, and there enjoyed a high 
reputation as the first classical teacher in that section 
of the country. His oldest sou' (William) married 
Agnes Ann Ileid, of whom it is said, in a note, " nine 



OLD VIKGIXIA CLERKS. lli> 

cliildren (among tliem Rev. Archibald Alexander, D. D.) 
were born of this marriage, all of whom lived to a 
very old age, retaining their facnlties in fnll vigor to 
the last, and were beautiful examples of a happy and 
cheerful old age. They all connected themselves in 
early life with the Presbyterian church, and were re- 
markable for tlieir devoted piety. A very large num- 
of their descendants ai-e also members of the same 
church, thus ^'erifying the promise to Abraham, ' I 
will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.' 
They were remarkable for tlieir strength of character 
candor, sincerity, generosity, hospitality, social, affec- 
tionate dispositions, and for their unsuspicious, con- 
fiding natures. Among the descendants, and those with 
vvdiom they intermarried, there are no less than twenty 
Presbyterian ministers." 

Pobert, the clerk of Campl)ell, married a Miss Aus- 
tin, of Bedford county, and his sister, Esther, married 
Captain Austin, of Bedford, wlio was a brother, or 
cousin, of Robert's wife. 



CAROLINE COUNTY 



Caroline was formed in 1727 from Essex, King and 
Queen and King William. 

The destruction hj fire of the early records of Caro- 
line has rendered it impossible to furnish a perfectly 
accurate account of the periods of service of the clerks 



120 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

before the year 1814. Tlie following is believed to be 
approxiiuately correct : 

1. Benjamin Robinson, from 172H to 1703, 37 years. 

2. Joseph Robinson, (son <>f Renjamin), from 

1703 to 1780, -------- 17 years. 

3. AYilliam Nelson, from 1780 to 170t), - - 1\) years. 

4. John Rendleton, from 1799 to 1814, - IT) years. 

5. John S. Pendleton, (son of John), from 

1814 to 1845, - - ------ 31 years. 

6. Robert Ilndgin, (having been deputy of 

J. S. Pendleton from 1827), was clerk 

of the circuit court from 1831 to 1845, 14 years. 

7. George W. Marsliall, from 1845 to 1803, 

(county court), -------- 18 years. 

8. George Iveith Taylor, from 1845 to 1803, 

(circuit court), -------- 18 yeai*s. 

9. Robert Iludgin, from 1 803 to 1 887,(county 

court), ----------- 24 years. 

Making thirty-eight years in the tw(> 
courts, l)esides nineteen years deputy, 
making tifty-seven years in all. Re- 
elected in ^[ay, 1887, ior six years. 
1<>. Thomas AV. Valentine, (circuit court), 

from 1870 to 1887, - - - - - - 17 years. 

Tic also was re-electe<l in ^[ay, 18S7 foi- six years. 

AUTOBIOGRAl'HV <»K K<H5i;in' ULIXiLN'. 

In the year 1817 my mother placed me in the office 
of John T. Ford, the skillful and accomplished clerk 
of the old Fredericksburg district chancery court, to 
remain until I was twenty-one years old. I was then 
fifteen. I served out the time faithfully, and re- 
mained in Mr. Ford's employment until his death 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 121 

and then in tlie employment of his successor, the ven^ 
erable Isaac II. Williams, until I came to Caroline 
in 1S27. There were complaints that the office busi- 
ness of Caroline county was badly managed, and, at 
the instance of several leading lawyers of the Freder- 
icksburg bar who had a large practice in Caroline, I 
came to see Mr. John S. Pendleton, the clerk, who had 
entrusted the office business to deputies and they had 
neglected it ; hence the complaint. I had no difficulty 
in arranging matters satisfactorily with Mr. Pendleton, 
he agreeing to give me the sole management and control 
of the offices for a term of years, and I entered at once 
on the w^ork assiduously, and soon put in order and re- 
arranged all the old books and papers ; and so satisfac- 
torily was it done, that within a year the justices, sitting 
in court, voted a resolution of thanks to me for it. In 
1831 I was appointed by Judge John Tayloe Lomax 
clerk of the circuit court, but I continued to act as the 
deputy of Mr. Pendleton, and to conduct and manage 
generally the business of the county court until 181:5, 
when I resigned both offices, and commenced to prac- 
tice the law. In 18()0 I moved to Fauquier county, to 
take charge of the Fauquier White Sulphur Springs, 
which I had purchased. I remained there until 1863, 
when my entire property (valuable buildings and valua- 
ble personalty) was destroyed by the Northern armies, 
and from sheer destitution I was compelled to return 
to my old home in Caroline county. Shortly after my 
return the clerks of both courts (George K. Taylor, 
clerk of the circuit court, now clerk of the court of 
appeals at Hichmond, and George W. Marshall, clerk 
of the county court) resigned their offices, and I was 
appointed in their stead ; and have held them ever 



122 OLD YIRGINIA CLERKS. 

eince, I believe witli satisfaction to the ccniiinuiiity. 
As some evidence of this, I may be excused the egotism, 
that at the last election of county officers, in a voting 
population of upwards of three thousand, I received 
every vote except three, and have good reason to know 
that two of these were scratched by mistake. I am 
now eighty-four and a-half yeai's old ; have been blessed 
through this long life with general good health ; am 
able to walk to and from the office, half a mile from 
my house, and to discharge its varied duties ; and can 
confidently say that, in this long period of discharge of 
official duties, no one has ever been in jinvd 1)V any act 
*'■ committed" or "omitted" l)y me. 

[Signed], Twouekt IlrixiiN. 

February 4, 1887. 

Addenda to the Foregoing. 

Mr. John T. Ford was, when a])})ointed clerk of tlie old 
chancery court, clerk of the courts of Stafford county. 
He was a thorough clerk, of more than ordinary intelli- 
gence, and a sound lawyer, lie had tine conversational 
powers, and his office was the daily i-esort of very many 
men who afterwards became distinguished, such as 
Robert C. Stanard, John W. Green, John T. Lomax, 
Philip Harrison and the like, who were kindred spirits, 
and much to the advantage of the junior clerks in the 
office, who could but listen to and be improved by the 
constant discussions incident to such meetings. W. T. 
Phillips was then Mr. Ford's first deputy ; A. W. Mor- 
ton second. lie was a good and well-informed clerk ; 
afterwards became clerk of Fauquier county ; then 
clerk of the supreme court of the Fnited States, and 



OLD A'IKGINIA CLKKKS. 123 

finall}' second assistant postinaster-geiieral, and died 
whilst holding this latter position. 

A. W. Morton succeeded to the chancery clerkship 
on the death of Mr. Williams. lie held it until the 
court was abolished ; then removed to Richmond, and 
was, for several years, chamberlain of the city. 

I mention these matters to show of what material 
this old chancery office was formed. On the separation 
of the clerkships of Caroline county by law, Thomas 
W. Yalentine, then my deputy, was appointed clerk of 
the circuit court, a position he now worthily holds. 

R. H. 

Accompanying the above, which was sent to me by 
Hon. John L. Marye, is the following note from him- 
self : " Having known Mr. Robert Hudgin intimately 
for forty years, and practiced law in the courts of Car- 
oline for this period, I am able to state that he has been 
universally esteemed and admired by the bench, the 
bar and citizens having intercourse with him for his 
official fidelity and skill, and for his high character." 




J 



t^^ The following is an interesting liistorical paper, 
showing as it does that one hundred and fifty years ago 
the sons of many of the best families in Virginia were 
placed in clerks' offices as a good preparatory school, 
where they were trained for usefulness in the highest 
departments of life. The Edmund Pendleton herein 
mentioned afterwards became president of the court of 
appeals. 



124 or,!) Vlli(rIMA CLERKS. 

Ill Caroline county court the following entry is made 
on the 14th day of ]Marcli, 1785: 

"It is ordered and considered by the court that Ed- 
mond Pendleton, son of Henry Pendleton, dec'd, be 
bound (and is hereby l)ound) unto Benjamin Pobinson, 
clerk of this court, to serve him the full end and term 
of six years and six months as an apprentice, to be 
brought u}) in the said office; which time the said ap- 
prentice his said master faithfully shall serve, according 
to the usages and customs of apprentices. In consid- 
eration whereof the said Benjamin Bobinson doth agree 
that he will use the utmost of his endeavors to instruct 
his said apprentice in all things belonging to a clerk's 
office, and that he will provide for him sufficient meat, 
drink, apparell prefitting for an apprentice during ye 
s'd time." 

KOIJERT HUDGIN. 

The following from the Caroline Sentinel will be 
read with interest by many of our older citizens : 

" Mr. . Hudgin was the owner of Fauquier AYhite 
Sulphur Springs at the time of the burning of the 
hotel by the Federal troops, by which act of vandalism 
lie was almost financially ruined. In a recent issue of 
the I^ree Lance the following complimentary notice 
w^as given of our popular and faithful county clerk, 
Mr. Kobert Hudgin : 

' One of the most interesting features of that county 
is Mr. Bobert Iludgin, its clerk. Mr. Hudgin is in 
the eighty-sixth year of his age, his mind as bright 
as sun rays without a cloud, his physical powers so 
active, so healthy, that they amount to a remarkable 
phenomena. It is with much pleasure to those who 
take an interest in the workiuir of a court to see with 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 1^5 

what agility and perfect familiarity this old gentleman 
meets his duties and discharges them. Mr. Hudgin 
was born and raised to manhood in this city. As a 
clerk of courts he served his apjDrenticeshij) in the old 
district court of this city, under the tutorship of Mr. 
John T. Ford, who was then clerk of that court. From 
here he moved to Caroline, where he was elevated to 
the position of clerk of courts in 1827, which position 
he has filled, or had continuous control of, to the pres- 
ent time, with but little or no opposition. In 1883, with 

no opposition, he received the full vote of his county 

3,000 votes. At the last election for the position, with 
opposition, Mr. Hudgin received 1,300 majority.' " 



CARROLL COUNTY. 



Carroll was formed from Grayson in 1844. The 
clerks have been . 

Of the County Court. 

1. "William Lindsey, from 1844 to 1849, - 5 years. 

2. F. L. Hale, from 1849 to 1852, three years, 

and from 1858 to 1864, six years, - 9 years. 

3. Esau Worrell, from 1852 to 1858, - - 6 years. 

4. Wm. H. Sutherland, from 1864 to 1887, 23 years. 

Of the Circuit Court. 

1. Madison D. Carter, from 1844 to 1849, - 5 years. 

2. WilHam Lindsey, from 1849 to 1864, - 15 years. 

3. Wm. H. Sutherland, from 1864 to 1887, 23 years. 
With the exception of one year (1869-70), when the 
ofiice was held by a military appointee, whose name 
is not given. He was re-elected in May, 188T. 



126 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



CHARLOTTE COUNTY. 



Charlotte was formed in 1705 from Luneiilmrg. It 
lias been the residence of three distingnished Virgin- 
ians, viz. : Patrick Henry, John Randolph, and the 
late Judge Paul Carrington, Sr. Ked Hill, the seat of 
Patrick Henry, is on the southwest angle of the county. 
There lived and died the man who Mr. Jefferson said 
" was the greatest orator that ever lived," and to whom 
John Randolph (rather irreverently) applied the words 
of Sacred AVrit, "Xever man spake as this man." 

The clerks of Charlotte have been few, and confined 
to only three families, but they have been noted for 
their skill, intelligence and usefulness as clerks. 

1. Thomas Read, from 1765 to 1817, - - 52 years. 

2. Winslow Robinson, 1817 to 1863, - - 46 years. 

3. William A. Smith, from 1863 to 1869, - 6 years. 

4. Henry A. Cari-ington, from 1870 to 1885, 15 years. 

5. John C. Carrington, from 1885 to 1887, 2 years. 

Re-elected without opposition in May, 
1887, for a term of six years. 

Clerk of Circuit Court. 
1. William Smith, from 1881 to 1887, - - 6 years. 
Re-elected, without opposition, for a 
term of six years from 1st July, 1887. 

WiNSLow Robinson, the son of John and Obedience 
Robinson, of the county of Charlotte, was born in Oc- 
tober, 1799. His father was a minister in the ]\Ietho- 
dist Episcopal Church. In February, 1814, Winsl6w^ 
Robinson was placed under Thomas Pead, the clerk of 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 127 

the countj, with whom he continued till the deatli of 
that distinguished man in 1817. In Mr. Read's office 
young Robinson received a thorough training at the 
hands of an accomplished officer, who was at the same 
time one of the leading characters of the Revolu- 
tionary period. The fine natural abilities of the joung 
man were thus developed under the most favorable 
circumstances. When his honored chief died, the j)eo- 
ple recognized that his deputy was his fitting successor. 
But a difficulty in the way w^as his youth. He lacked 
more than two years of his majority, and he could not 
qualify before attaining it. The county Court found 
a way, however, by which this difficulty was sur- 
mounted. They appointed his father clerk, with the 
understanding that the son would perform all the duties 
of the office. The appointment was made at the April 
term, 1817. AYithin a year the father died, and a 
friend, William L. Morton, offered to take his place 
with the same conditions. He was appointed April, 
1818. At the Xovember term, 1819, Winslow Robin- 
son having become of age, Mr. Morton retired, and the 
young man was appointed clerk of the courts. From 
that time he held the office continuously, either by ap- 
pointment or election, until after an attack of paralysis 
in 1863 he tendered his resignation. He died in Octo- 
ber, 1863. 

'No county was ever blessed with a more agreeable, 
accomplished, or faithful officer, than was the county 
of Charlotte during the more than forty-five years that 
he served it. During that period the countj^ court was 
held by justices who had no superiors in a State whose 
chief ornament was her magistracy. The orders are 
signed by such men as Reps Osborne, Clement Car- 



128 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

rington, H. A. AYatkins, Josepli Wyatt, A. D. Alex- 
ander, John D. Iticliardson, William M. "Watkins, 
AVilliam B. Green, Henry Carrington and James P. 
Marshall, as presiding justices. The circuit court was 
held hv Fleming Saunders, Thomas T. Eouldin, Wil- 
liam Leigh and H. H. Marshall. Mr. Eohinson's skill 
and faithfulness as an officer and his remarkable intel- 
ligence as a man soon gained for him the coniidence of 
the accomplished men who presided over the several 
courts, and he became their trusted adviser. The peo- 
ple of the county also learned to look to him as a safe 
counsellor, and many were the questions settled by him 
as a friend, which would otherwise have resulted in 
bitter litigation. Ilis long and intimate contact with 
courts and his keen powers of observation and discrimi- 
nation made him a sound legal adviser, and he was so 
recognized in and out of the legal profession. 

Mr. Robinson had a most amiable disposition, with 
fine powers of conversation, and was thus a charming 
companion. He was, for many years before his death, 
a member of the Presbyterian church. His features 
greatly resembled the striking face of his distinguished 
kinsman, the great jurist, Conway Pobinson. There 
was a peculiar brightness of the eye and kindliness of 
expression about him which at once attracted and in- 
terested every one he met. He married Miss Pernette 
Elizabeth Womack, of Prince Edward county, and left 
five children — Miss M. Cordelia, who died unmarried; 
Kannie E., wife of H. W. Bengurt ; Louisa, wife of 
William A Smith ; Bettie, wife of George E. Dennis, 
and Robert H. Only Mrs. Dennis, of Pocky Mount, 
Franklin county, survives. 

Upon the death of Mr. Robinson, tlie county court 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 129 

<)i Charlotte entered on its record the folkiwing well- 
merited testimonial of their regard : 
*' In Charlotte County Court, December 8th, 1863 : 

" Wliereas, it has pleased God in his providence to 
remove from us bj death Winslow Eobinson, late clerk 
of this court : therefore, be it 

Res(>l€e(l, That this county has lost a valuable and 
beloved citizen and this court an accomplished and 
faithful officer. Called to the responsible position of 
clerk of the courts of this county before he had arrived 
at the age of twenty-one years, Mr. Kobinson performed 
the duties of his office for more than forty-live years, 
with an integrity and capacity rarely found, even among 
the clerks of Virginia. Uniting with fine business 
capacity and large experience, a pleasant temper and 
agreeable manner, he won and enjoyed not only the 
confidence and esteem but the affection of his associates, 
and his loss will not only be severely felt by his be- 
reaved family but by this court and by the county. 

Resolved , That this court do sympathize with the 
widow and family of the deceased in their bereave- 
ment. 

Resolved^ That a copy of these proceedings be com- 
municated by the clerk of this court to the family of 
the deceased, and that a copy be also published in one 
of the newspapers published in the city of Kichmond ; 
and as a further testimony of their respect to the de- 
ceased, it is ordered that the court be now adjourned." 



130 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

SKETCH OF COLONEL THOMAS READ. 

Thomas Head, tlie first clerk of Cliarlotte, and the 
second son of Colonel Clement Read, who was clerk 
of Lunenburg county from 1744 to 1765, was born at 
Bushy Forest, then within the county of Lunenburg, 
between the years 1735 and 1740. Cliarlotte was set 
off from Lunenburg in 1765, and Colonel Thomas Head 
became its first clerk, farming the office from his prin- 
cipal, who did not reside in the county, until 1770, 
when Head became the principal, holding it with the 
approbation and commendation of all until 1817, when 
he died. He was the county lieutenant during the war 
of the Hevolution ; marched with the county levy to 
Petersburg, and again to oppose Cornwallis on the 
Dan. He was the senior member of the Charlotte 
delegations to the Virginia conventions of 1774, 1775 
and 1776, and in the convention of 1788 he o^^posed 
the adoption of the Federal constitution. Mr. Hugh 
Blair Grigsby, in his " Discourse on the Virginia Con- 
vention of 1776," thus speaks of him : '' He was equally 
distinguished by the fervor of his patriotism, by the 
strictest integrity, and by the highest sense of personal 
honor. He wrote an excellent hand, was thoroughly 
skilled in finance, and carried such system into his pri- 
vate affairs that he could have turned, at a moment's 
notice, to a paper half a century old. Inheriting the 
papers of his father, the old clerk of Lunenburg, lie 
could have 2fone back nearly a centurv. Though not 
a lawyer by profession, he was well versed in the 
statute law ; and rather by the process of small profits 
and strict economy than by sudden speculation, he 
accumulated a large estate. Though courteous and 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 131 

affable and noted for the disinterested and valuable 
services to all wlio needed them, he was slow in form- 
ing friendships, but these, when once formed, were 
indissoluble. His friendship for Mr. Madison no diffi- 
culty, no disaster, no evil tongue could sunder or impair. 
He was a man of a pure life, and of honesty that 
became proverbial, and for nearly two generations was 
the conlidential adviser of the people, who knew that 
neither interest nor passion could sway his opinion. 
His stature approached six feet, and his frame was large 
in pi'oportion. His head was broad and full ; his eyes 
were blue ; his nose Roman ; his chin round and firmly 
set. He wore his hair powdered, and retained the 
queue which he had worn that day when, on a report 
that Cornwallis was crossing the Dan, he marched with 
the levy en masse of the county of Charlotte to oppose 
his progress. His dress was always neat, and even ele- 
gant ; and in society he was tlie model of an accomplished 
gentleman." He was educated at Williamsburg, began 
life as a surveyor, (as Washington and Jefferson had 
done before him), and married a Miss Xash, whom, 
with his daughter, an only child, he survived, liaving 
filled the measure of a long and useful life. 

Br Wm. W^ Read. 



William A. Smith, who was the successor of Mr- 
Robinson as clerk of the circuit and county courts of 
Charlotte, was the son of Captain W^illiam Smith, and 
was born at Charlotte courthouse, N^ovember 18, 1823. 
He entered the clerk's office in November, 1836, when 
but thirteen years of age. Here, under the careful and 
methodical training of Mr. W^inslow Robinson, he laid 
the foundation of those patient and industrious habits 



132 OLD VIKGIMA CI.EKK8. 

which liave distinguished him in subsequent life. He 
continued as an assistant to Mr. llobinson until Xovem- 
ber, 1839. Three years later, in 181-2, he l)eeame the 
acting slierilf of the county, whicli position he tilled 
for seven years. 

In 1861, My. Smith was again called to discharge the 
duties of clerk, Mr. Robinson, whose daughter he had 
married, having been disabled by paralysis. Mr. Smith 
was elected to the office of clerk in April, 1803, on the 
resignation of Mr. Robinson. In addition to his duties 
as clerk during the war, lSh\ Smith acted as treasurer 
of the county, clerk of the military and exemption 
board, and commissioner for the supply of the families 
of soldiers with provisions. In all these varied and at 
times laborious positions, Mr. Smith acquitted himself 
with honor and to the great satisfaction of his fellow- 
citizens. At the close of the war, there was a large 
increase in the business of the courts, and tlie labors of 
the clerk became correspondingly arduous. Mr. Smith 
proved himself to be fully e(|ual to the emergency, and 
so systematized and arranged all the work of the two 
offices of the circuit and county courts as to meet all 
the increased demands. 

Mr. Smith continued in the office of clerk until 
January, 1871. Ilis administration was marked by an 
order and precision for which his training under his 
father-in-law had eminently fitted him,' and his own 
administrative tact and ability enabled him to realize. 
The evidences of his skill and arrangement are still 
manifest in every department of the offices over which 
he presided. After the lapse of so many years he is still 
a sort of encyclopedia as to papers connected with the 
offices and the history of estates and local affairs, which 



OIJ) VIRGINIA CLERKS. 133 

often proves of most valuable service to those who 
have occasion to consult records or liave business with 
the courts. 

On the accession of his successor, in 1871, Mr. Smith 
entered upon the practice of law in connection with 
Judge Hunter II. Marshall and Judge Wood Bouldin. 
On the election of Judge Marshall to the circuit bench 
and the elevation of Judge Bouldin to the court of 
appeals, Mr. Smitli formed a partnership with Wood 
Bouldin, Jr., a connection which still continues. 

Colonel Henry A. Carkington was elected clerk 
of the circuit and county courts of the county of Char- 
lotte in the year 1870. He was three times re-elected, 
filling the joint position until the division of the offices 
in 1881, and continuing to fill the office of county clerk 
until the time of his death in 1885. 

He was born at '' Ingleside," in Charlotte county, the 
estate of his father, September 13th, 1832. He. was 
the youngest son of Henry and Louisa E. Carrington. 
His mother was a daugliter of Hon. William H. Cabell, 
who was governor of Virginia from 1805 to 1808. He 
was afterwards a judge of what was know^n as " the gen- 
eral court" — now circuit court — and subsequently, for 
nearly forty years, president of the Virginia court of 
appeals. His father, Henry Carrington, was the fourth 
son of Judge Paul Carrington, Sr., who was a member 
of the Bevolutionary committee of safety, and also 
subsequently a distinguished member of the Virginia 
court of appeals. 

Born of so distinguished parentage, the subject of 
tliis notice was early characterized by habits of probity, 
elevated sentiments, and that sound judgment which 



134 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

distiiif^iiislied him in after life, and wliicli enabled liini 
to fill every position in wliicli lie was placed witli 
marked ability and success. At the age of sixteen he 
entered the Virginia Military Institute, where he took 
high rank for his orderly deportment, close application 
and marked proficiency in his studies. At the expira- 
tion of three years he graduated with honor, ranking 
fourth in a class of twenty-six. The following year he 
entered the law school of the Universitj;^ of Virginia, 
designing to engage in the practice of that profession 
in a Western city. This intention, however, was in- 
terrupted by providential circumstances, particularly 
by the death of his eldest brother, AVilliam Cabell Car- 
rington, who was eleven years his senior. In compli- 
ance with the earnest desire of his parents, to whom he 
was greatly devoted, and who were deeply atiiicted by 
the bereavement they had experienced, he resolved to 
relinquish the law and devote himself to agricultural 
pursuits, receiving a patrimonial estate known as "Re- 
tirement,'' within a mile of his father's residence. Here 
he settled, having, at the age of twenty-three, married 
the second daughter of Dr. John Cullen, who was at 
that time professor in the Medical College at Ivicli- 
mond. After his marriage he continued in the culti- 
vation of his estate and the enjoyment of the pleasures 
of rural, social and domestic life, until the alarms of 
war aroused his patriotism in April, 1S<U. He was 
amomr the first to offer his services in defence of his 
native State and what he believed to be the principles 
of constitutional liberty. The Charlotte Ilifles, a com- 
pany in his regiment, was tlie first to enlist from this 
county. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of 
the Eighteentli Virginia regiment of infantry, and, 



OLD VIEGIXIA CLERKS. 135 

bidding adieu to famih^ and home, lie liastened with 
his associates in arms to tlie tented fiehh 

Of the Eighteenth Yirginia regiment it may well 
be said it was distinguished for its noble gallantry and 
lionorable service throughout the war. Of Colonel 
Carrington it can be most truthfully said he shrank 
from no duty, and he feared no danger where duty 
called. He was in twenty-nine pitched battles, and 
was in active service during the whole four years of 
the war, with the exception of a term of eight months 
imprisonment at Johnson's Island, having been captured 
at the famous battle of Gettysburg. The Eighteenth 
Yirginia regiment occupied a prominent position in the 
celebrated charge, and it was while Colonel Carrington 
was endeavoring to rally his soldiers who had gained 
the heights, waving the regimental colors, which he 
had taken from the hands of the standard-bearer, who 
had fallen in the fight, that he was recognized and 
taken. He was also engaged in both battles of Manassas, 
and for his gallantry and daring in different engage- 
ments he was several times mentioned by his superior 
officers and recommended for promotion. He served 
as colonel of the regiment for eighteen months during 
the illness and disability of Colonel Withers. 

Colonel Carrington was three times wounded, only 
once very seriously, when he received a wound in the 
shoulder at the battle of Seven Pines, near Eichmond, 
on the 3d of June, 1862. During his imprisonment 
at Johnson's Island, he contracted the disease w^hich 
ultimately proved the cause of his death. As a com- 
manding officer he was greatly endeared to all his asso- 
ciates and the members of his command. The deserved 
promotion was finally conferred upon him, and before 



ISt) OI-I) VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

the close of the war he received his coiiimissioii as 
colonel on the resignation of Colonel Withers. lie 
was again taken prisoner just before the surrender, and 
was, in company witli others, being conveyed to prison. 
On i-eaching Sailor's creek, and in the confusion occa- 
sioned ])y tlie passage of the military wagons, lie was 
able to i)rocure tlie disguise of a Federal uniform, arid 
passing tlirougli the lines unobserved, he made good 
his escape, and finally reached his home in safety, lie 
now applied himself once more to agricultural pursuits, 
but the neglect of his estate, losses occasioned by the 
war, and the emancipation of his slaves, led him to 
resolve to resume the study and practice of the law, 
and he was soon after admitted as a member of the 
Charlotte bar. In 1870, he was elected clerk of the 
circuit and county courts, the two offices being then 
nnited. To the discharge of the duties of this position 
he was able to l)ring not only all the native grace and 
force of his character, but a degree of legal informa- 
tion and skill which eminently fitted him for the 
position, and was of great service to the county. lie 
was a good discijdinarian, methodical and exact in the 
discharge of his duties, and conscientious in all his 
dealings. In person. Colonel Carrington possessed the 
advantages of a noble and graceful figure, a genial yet 
commanding presence, a soldierly bearing without 
ostentation, and all the manners of a most accomplished 
and polished gentleman. His language was chaste and 
refined, and while he was courteous, social and agreea- 
ble, he was at the same time correct and dignified, lie 
accepted the arbitrament of arms with all a soldier's 
courage and fortitude. During the days of recon- 
struction he served as a member of the Freedmen's 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 137 

Bureau, securing tlie confidence of all his fellow-citi- 
zens. In politics he was of the old whig school, devoted 
to his State, a true patriot and sound conservative. 
Added to all. Colonel Carrington displayed the true 
j^race of a Christian character. The vows he assumed 
on the eve of his departure for the battle-field he sacredly 
kept. In his final sickness he was sustained by the 
consolations of Christian faith, and he died January 
22d, 1885, in the hope of a blessed immortality. His 
memory is gratefully cherished by his fellow-citizens. 

His son, John Cullin Carrington, was appointed to 
fill the unexpired term as clerk of the county, and in 
the spring of 1887 he was unanimously elected to the 
position for the ensuing term of six years. Trained 
under the care and direction of his father, for whom 
he served for some years as deputy, the present incum- 
bent bids fair to sustain the excellent qualities of his 
predecessors in ofiice. Possessing many of the busi- 
ness qualifications of his lamented father, his adminis- 
tration of the duties of his position, no less than his cour- 
tesy and gentlemanly bearing, has secured for him the 
universal respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens. 

WILLIAM SMITH, CLERK CIRCUIT COURT. 

After the census of 1880, it was found that the 
county of Charlotte was entitled to a. clerk for the 
circuit as well as county court, and in 1881 the ofiices 
were divided. William Smith was elected clerk of the 
circuit court in May, 1881. He is the son of William 
A. and Louisa Smith, his mother being the daughter 
of Winslow Robinson, who was clerk of Charlotte 
county for about forty years. He first entered the 
office of the county and circuit clerk in 1867 as deputy 



138 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

for his father, at that time clerk. In 1872 he acted as 
deputy for Colonel II. A. Carrington. In 1873 lie was 
appointed a commissioner in chancery for the circuit 
and county courts, a position which he still continues 
to hold. In January, 1871, he farmed the sheriffalty ^ 
from K. J. Gaulding, and was the acting sheriff of the 
county for the period of two years. As already stated, 
on the establishment of the office of circuit clerk as 
distinct from the county clerk, Mr. Smith was elected 
to the position, and after serving with acceptance for 
the term of six years, in 1887 he was re-elected with- 
out opposition for anotlier term. Descended as he is 
from a line of distinguished clerks, with a protracted 
and varied experience in the duties of the j)osition, his 
administration has been marked with all the elements 
of most distinguished success. Methodical and care- 
ful in his habits, Mr. Smith has been able to bring to 
the discharge of his duties a system, order and neat- 
ness which display themselves in the arrangement and 
preservation of papers, and in all the clerical work of 
the office, at once most helpful to the business of the 
court and advantageous to the public. His adminis- 
tration has won commendation alike from the court, 
the bar and the people. 



CHARLES CITY COUNTY. 



Charles City county was one of the eight shires (or 
counties) into which the colony of Virginia was first 
divided in IGS-l. Its clerhs have been as follows, so 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 139 

far as they can be ascertained from the old records, 
many of wliicli have been so mutilated or imperfectly 
preserved as to make an accurate list of names and 
dates impossible. The oldest order book in the office 
commences in 1735 and ends in 1755. From this book 
(which was carried off by the federal troops during the 
late war and returned after the war) we learn that the 
clerks have been : 

1. Lewellen Eppes, from 1739 to 1759, - - 20 years. 

2. James Epjies, from 1759 to 1770, - - 11 years. 

3. Mordecai Debnam, from 1770 to 1790, - 20 years. 

J^p^He issued marriage license to 
Thomas Jefferson, who married in this 
county Miss Emma Wailes. 

4. Otway Byrd, (a descendant of Colonel 

Wm. Byrd, of Westover,) from 1790 

to 1797, ---------- 7 years. 

5. Robert Munford, from 1797 to 1800, - 3 years. 

6. Wyatt Walker, from 1800 to 1817, - - IT years. 

7. Robert W. Christian, from 1817 to 1846, 29 years. 

8. Edmund T. Christian, (father of Judge 

George L. Christian, of Richmond), 

from 1846 to 1856, - 10 years. 

9. Edmund Waddill, from 1856 to 1887, - 31 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887. 
1^^ See sketch below, with likeness and autograph. 




140 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

Edmund Thomas Christian, who, on the death of 
his brotlier, E-obert Walker Cliristian in 1846, suc- 
ceeded to the clerkship of Charles City circuit and 
county courts, was the eighth son of Turner Christian 
by his third wife, who was Elizabeth C. Dancy, and 
was born at " Balfours," the residence of his father, on 
James river, in Charles City, on the 21st of June, 1814. 

That the mantle of Robert AYalker could not have 
fallen on the shoulders of a more worthy successor than 
those of Edmund Thomas, we believe would' be the 
verdict of the people of Charles City of every class and 
condition. These two brothers, whilst unlike in some 
respects, were much alike in their tastes and accpiire- 
ments, and had many other traits of character that were 
■common to both, and all that has been said of the high 
character, positive nature and unswerving fidelity in 
the discharge of private and public duties of Robert 
Walker, is equally true of Edmund Thomas. Indeed, 
we never knew a man who had a higher sense of the 
duties and responsibilities of life, whether those per- 
taining to his Maker or his fellow-man, than did Ed- 
mund Thomas Christian, and he was truly, in some 
respects, an extraordinary man. lie was a man of 
great industry, perseverance and will, and rarely, if 
ev^er, undertook anything that he did not succeed at. 
His father gave him the means of acquiring a good 
education, which he duly improved, and, with a good 
natural mind, and his fondness for reading, fitted him- 
self for any vocation in life to which his tastes might 
incline him. He commenced life in 183G, by embark- 
ing in the mercantile business in Mobile, Alabama, and, 
being fond of horseback riding, traveled in that way 
from Charles City to Mobile. In this venture he sue- 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 141 

ceeded remarkably well, and doubtless l)ut for the fact 
that he had left his sweetheart behind, and was devoted 
to Virginia and his people, would have spent the rest 
of his life in Mobile. These attachments were so strong 
that we find him, on the 1st of May, 1838, again mount- 
ing his steed and setting out for his home ; and he 
arrived in Kiehmond on tlie 5th day of June, having 
again made the trip on horseback. We have before us 
a diary kept by him of his return trip. It is exceed- 
ingly entertaining, showing the route traveled to be 
almost the same as that of the nearest railway now from 
Richmond to Mobile over the ^N'orfolk and Western 
route. But the trip which it then took thirty-six days 
to make can be easily made now in much less than that 
number of /lozrrs. 

In a few months after his return to \^irgiiiia, Mr. 
Christian was married to Tabitha E., the daughter of 
Edmund Y. Graves, of Charles City, a brother of Colo- 
nel Kichard Graves, a famous man of his day, who, for 
years, represented Kew Kent and Charles City in the 
general assembly, and these were descendants of Captain 
Thomas Graves, who was a representative in the first 
colonial legislative body which assembled at Jamestown, 
in Virginia, in 1619. Mr. Christian could not have 
chosen a more fitting or congenial companion through 
life than he did — one who was admired and loved by 
all who knew her, and who was known throughout her 
county not only for her hospitality and her charities, 
but for all those quahties which make the true and de- 
voted Christian wife and mother. She survived until 
May, 1861, when the news of the wounding of one of 
her sons in the army, and the burning and destruction 
of her home by the federal army, caused her death. 



142 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

Oil the death of Mr. Christian's father, lie became 
the owner of his old liomestead, " Balfours," where he 
resided as a farmer, from tlie time of his marriao^e until 
the first parf of Jaimarv, 184G. lie then removed to 
Charles Citv courthouse, Avent in tlie clerk's office as 
deputy for liis brother, Robert Walker, and succeeded 
him as clerk, as before stated, on the hitter's death in 
the month of Marcli following. 

Soon after being made clerk, he purchased an estate 
called " Edge Ilill," adjoining " Sherwood Forest," the 
residence of ex-President Tyler. Mr. Tyler's first wife 
was a Christian, and the ties between the two families, 
whicli were close in the lives of the ancestors, are kept 
up by their descendants to this day. 

Mr. Christian was an "old line" whig in poHtics. 
lie was also a meinljcr of the Methodist Protestant 
Church, a very infiuential denomination in his sec- 
tion in his day, and we cannot better illustrate his 
party faith and earnest Christian character than by 
inserting a letter (the original of which is now before 
us) written to his wife on the last day of the year 1853 : 

" Saturday Kight, December 31st, 1853. 
" My Dear T. : 

" From the date of this you will see that the year 
1853 has nearly drawn to a close. Soon, very soon, 
will another year commence, together with its troubles 
and difficulties. So goes the world, bringing with every 
day its troubles and sorrows. Xow, what I wish to 
draw the attention of my dear wife to is this : that 
when the new year shall begin, we also may begin, as 
it w^ere, anew our lives, and be determined, by the 
grace and mercy of God, to live nearer to the foot of 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 143 

tlie Cross, letting onr light sliiiie as Christians Avherever 
we go, and placing, as it were, a bridle on our tongues, 
that we may neither distress nor wound the feelings- 
of any person with whom we have to do. Mj dear T., 
we have great cause to be thankful, for with all our 
unworthiness, the Lord has been exceedingly kind to 
us. We have, like other people, had much of trouble 
to contend with, yet for all this we can never for one 
moment of our lives remember when it was that we 
felt the need of a friend. But the friendship of this 
world is enmity to God (so says the Good Book), and 
we this night can rejoice together and say that Ave have 
chosen Him for our friend who has promised never to 
leave nor forsake us. Blessed promise ; it makes my 
poor soul glad, and I could lay down my pen with 
pleasure to join with you in praising my Master for it. 
Let us be determined then to live nearer to Jesus and 
to be more consistent Christians. Yes, let us promise 
each other this : that we will give ourselves, and all 
tliat we have, entirely to the Lord, and devote it to His- 
service. AYe must soon pass away, and I hope we may 
l)e enabled, by the grace of God assisting us, to wel- 
come rather than dread the hour of our departure. I 
have thought for a long time that it would be pleasant 
to me to leave this world of trouble. In this, however, 
I may be mistaken ; nor do I feel that I want to leave 
it because of any extra trouble I have, but I feel as if 
I wanted to see my Saviour. .1 cannot think of His 
great love for me but that my heart runs out after Him, 
and I feel as if I want to be in His presence. But a 
(piestion might be asked just here : Would I be Avilling 
to leave ray wife and children to go to a world un- 
known — they must necessarily miss me much ? Well, 



144 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

this is ratlier a hard (|uestioii. But who can he in truth 
a Christian who is afraid to trust God ( I hare full 
confidence in His 2)/'0}7iises. lie has proinised me 
this : He says, " Leave thy fatherless chiklren, I will 
preserve them alive, and let thy widows trust in me." 
But, my dear T., 1 will not write any more, hut con- 
elude by saying the Lord has promised to pre])ai'e a 
place for all those who diligently continue in His service 
and love Him. Let it, then, he our constant wish to 
please Him, and only ITim, that we may meet where 
parting is no more. 

'' Yours devotedly, Kdm'd." 

The strain of sadness running through tliis letter was 
doubtless caused by the death of his little four-year-old 
daughter, Betsy, the year before, and which seems to 
have saddened the rest of his life ; for we find a piece 
of his fragmentary manuscript, written, apparently, 
not long before his death, containing a ])erfect wail of 
mourning for this child, and this among otlier expres- 
sions of his o-rief : ^' O, Betsv, Betsv, Betsv ! I do want 
to see thee more and more each day of my life. Can 
I stay from thee I Ves, God has decreed it thus, but I 
will think of thee. It is a somethino; that enc^niraires 
me to press on to the land of glory, for there I know 
my Betsy dwells.'' ^ ^f "^ * ^ 

Mr. Christian liad eiglit children, the eldest of which 
Avas sixteen years and tlie youngest tive weeks old at 
the time of his death. Tlieir names were as follows: 
Edmund Turner, George Llewellyn, Richard Lang- 
horne, John Douglas, ^[argaret Ann, Elizabetli Armis- 
tead, Robert Seymour, and Benjamin Thomas. Ed- 
nnmd and Richard are still livino^ in Charles City, 



OLD NIli(rIMA (LKKKS. 145 

George in Jticliniond, Juliii in JJaltimore and Hubert 
iu Xorfulk. ^largaret, Elizabeth and Benjamin are 
dead. 

The old county court of magistrates was tlie most 
representative body of men who ever assembled in the 
counties of \^irginia, and we give an extract from the 
resolutions adopted b v the county court of Charles City 
as the best evidence of the esteem in which Mr. Chris- 
tian was held, as an officer aud man, at the time of his 
death : 

" Whereas, this court has heard with unfeigned sor- 
row of the death of Ednmnd T. Christian, its clerk, 
who lias been cut down in the noon-tide of his career 
of usefulness and honor, who, in his private and offi- 
cial character, was beloved and respected by all Avho 
knew him : therefore, it is 

^^ Rehired ^ 1st. That this court is painfully sensible 
of the great loss it has sustained in tlie death of the 
deceased ; that his devotion to his official duties, and. 
his tirmness and efficiency in the discharge of them, 
had won for him its highest esteem and most implicit 
contidenee. 

''^ ReHolced^ 2Jd. That the court recognizes in his death 
a public calamity second only to that which liis beloved 
widoM^ and orphaned babes have been called upon to 
bear. 

'-^Rc.sol i\hI^ 3d. That it deeply sympathizes witli the 
family of the deceased in their affiiction, and would 
point them for consolation to the inheritances he lias 
left them, of a name unsullied, and a memory Avhich 
shall live in the liearts of his fellow-citizens till they 
cease to beat in unison with virtue and truth." 

-X- -k vc- -if -.k ^ 



14() OLD VlKcaNIA CLERKS. 

Mr. Christian died on the Otli day of March, \So6, 
and the foregoing were adopted by the county court of 
Charles City at the Marcli term of the court of that 
year. Tliey express tlie sentiments of all who knew 
liim. His death was from pneumonia, which he con- 
tracted bv fallinjj: throuo-li an air-hole whilst skatino^, 
of which exercise he was very fond, and in which he 
was very accomplished. His remains are l)uried by the 
side of those of his widow and little Betsy, in the family 
graveyard at ''Edge Hill." 



^n'^-ZS^. 




ItonKKT AV.vi;kp:k C^ukistia.n, who was clerk of the 
circuit and county courts of Cliarles City county fnmi 
1817 to 1S4H, was the eldest son of Turner Cliristian 
by his first marriage with Sarah AValker. lie was ])<)rn 
at ''Kimmages," on the James i-iver, just above " West- 
over," in Charles City, on the 18th day of ])eceml)er, 
1783. His father was a <lescendant of that family of 
Great Britain universally styled by British chroniclers 
"the ancient family" of Ewanrigg Hall in Cumber- 
land, and ;^[illntowii and Bonaldsway in the Isle of 
Man. I )uring the troublous times of ( 'romwell several 
members of this family came over t(» this country and 
settled in Yii-ginia, and we find from the records of 
the Virginia land office, in Bichmond, that as early as 
the vear B)r)7, one of them, named Thomas Christian, 
obtained a grant for land in James City county, then 
the very heart of the colony, and that between the 
years 1057 and 1T(')4, numerous tracts, containing sev- 
eral tliousand acres, were granted to diiferent members 



OLD VIRrrlNIA CLKKKS. 147 

of this same family in tlie counties of diaries City, 
Henrico, (Toochlaiid, Albemarle and Augusta. One 
of these tracts in diaries (yity county, which was 
granted to Thomas Christian in ] G57, has been owned 
and occupied by members of the same family ever since, 
and is now owned and occupied by Captain Thomas L. 
Christian (a nephew of Robert Walker Clu-istian, and 
as gallant a confederate soldier as any in the army) and 
Louisa (-liristian, his wife, who was also a Christian, 
and a lineal descendant of the original grantee. 

In 1809 Robert Walker Christian removed to Rich- 
mond, and commenced his clerical training in the clerk's 
office of Henrico county court, under J. B. Whitlocke, 
the then clerk, and we find that he qualified as the 
deputy clerk of Henrico county court in December of 
that year. He remained in that office until the latter 
part of 1811, when he left and went back to his native 
county, Charles City, and took charge of the clerk's 
office there as deputy for Wyatt Walker, the then clerk, 
succeeding his cousin, Edmund Christian, afterwards 
United States marshal for the district of Virginia. In 
1817 he w^as made the clerk of Charles City circuit 
and county courts, and continued so until his death, 
-svhich occurred on the 1st day of March, 1816. 

!No courts ever had a more faithful or efficient clerk 
than did those of Charles City under the administration 
of Mr. Christian. He was indeed as good a type of 
tlie old Virginia gentleman and old Virginia clerk as 
could be found, and was known as such b}^ the repre- 
sentative clerks of that grand old body of men all over 
Eastern Virginia. The Robinsons, Howards and Elletts 
of Richmond, the Winstons of Hanover, and the Pol- 
lards of King William and King and Queen, were his 



148 OI.l) VIKdlNlA CLERKS. 

intimate and devoted friends. The first edition of Mr. 
JoliTi liobinson's Form Book was j^uljlislied during the 
intimacy existing between himself and Mr. Christian, 
and we think it may be reasonably inferred that they, at 
least, conferred together about many of the forms in- 
corporated in that most useful work. 

^[r. Christian was a man oLexcellent natural endow- 
ments, and his mind had been cultivated by education 
and reading. He was very fond of the British poets 
and essayists, but especially so of Burns, from whose 
works it is said he could quote almost by the page. He 
was also a most ])ractical business man, which, with his 
natural gifts and ac(juirements, made him one of the 
safest counsellors, in the ordinary affairs of life, that 
could be found in his section. Indeed, we have heard 
that his advice on questions of law was frequently 
sought, and followed, in preference to that of leading 
members of the bar of Charles City, even when that 
l)ar contained the names of such men as John B. Clop- 
ton, John B. Christian, John Tyler, James D. Ilaly- 
hurton, John M. Gregory, Robert G. Scott, George W. 
Southall, John A. Meredith, Thomas II. Willcox, Bich- 
mond T. Lacy, John F. Fierce, and others less known 
to fame, but very good lawyers. He was known to be 
a man of the highest character, and on this account, 
and because of his practical sense and business training, 
was made the representative of the largest estates in 
his county. Both as an officer and citizen he com- 
manded the esteem, conlidence and respect of all who 
knew him or came in contact with him. Fossessed of 
ample fortune, at his home, "Greenway" (the birth- 
place of Fresident Tyler), about a half a mile above 
Charles City courthouse, he dispensed a hospitality 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 149 

second to none in Tidewater Virginia, fanions the world 
over for this trait of its people. During the sessions 
of the circuit court, the judge and the non-resident 
members of the bar were his guests, and nothing af- 
forded them more pleasure in after years than to tell of 
the princely, but unaffected and unpretentious, manner 
in Avhich they were entertained by the " old clarh^^ as 
he was generally called by them ; of the pleasant oc- 
casions spent under his roof, and to relate anecdotes 
of his well-known house-servants, Frank and Henry 
Jasper. Mr. Christian, like the most of his family, 
was an " old line " whig in politics. He was also a 
member of the Episcopal Church, which he attended 
regularly, at old Westover church, ordering Frank or 
Henry to bring him his " espiscopalians " for the occa- 
sion, as he always termed his Sunday suit. He was a 
man of strong will and convictions, a ^6'6'^V/t'6' character 
in every way, one who would have gone to the stake 
before swerving one iota from what he believed to be 
the path of rectitude ^d duty, and was faithful and 
true in every relation of life. He married Mrs. Eliza- 
beth Jones, (formerly Miss Irby), the widow of John 
Jones, of Xorth Carolina, who, by her first husband, 
had two children, one of whom married Mary, a 
daughter of President Tyler, during the latter's admin- 
istration. Mrs. Jones had, at the time of her marriage 
to Mr. Christian, a considerable dowry, and this, when 
added to what Mr. Christian had accumulated and in- 
herited from his father, made him one of the wealthy 
men of his county. By this marriage Mr. Chris- 
tian left the following children, viz. : Virginia C, 
liobert Walker, Augustus, Richard, Elizabeth, Philip 
and Mary. Virginia married Colonel James M. Will- 



150 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

oox, who for several terms represented (diaries City 
and New Kent in the general assembly of Virginia. 
lie was also for many years the presiding justice of 
Charles City, and was a man of high character, of ex- 
cellent sense and jndgment, and a most useful and 
worthy citizen in everv wav. lie died in 1878, leavino: 
his widow, four sons and a daughter, all of whom are 
8ti]l living. 

Ivobert AValker, »lr., Augustus and l*hili]) Christian 
attained to manhood, but died without ever having 
married ; Hichard married Martha Turner Batte, of 
Prince George county, a most estimable and accom- 
plished lady, but \)\ whom lie had no child, and they 
are both now dead. EHzabeth married her cousin. Dr. 
Edmund O. Christian, by whom she has seven or eight 
children, all living now in AYest Virginia. Mary has 
never married, and lives with her widowed sister, Mrs. 
AVillcox, at " Buckland," on the James river, the once 
beautiful residence of the late Colonel Willcox. 

One of Mr. Christian's sisters, Susan Brown Chris- 
tian, married Major Thomas Doswell, the famous turf- 
man of "Bulefield," Hanover county, and these were 
the parents of the present j\rajor Thomas AV. Doswell, 
of the same place, and who is so well and favorably 
known, not only on account of his celebrated horses, 
but for every quality that go to make up the true man 
and high-minded, estimable A^irginia gentleman. An- 
other sister married Tyler Ilardiman, (a nephew of 
Governor Tyler, the father of President Tyler), wlio 
moved to Louisiana, and has several descendants in that 
8tate, some of whom were distinguished as soldiers in 
the confederate army. 

None of Mr. Christian's sons seemed to possess his 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 151 

taste or talents for the clerk's office. But, whilst this 
is so, few men have had so inanjof his name to follow 
him in the same line of business ; and we know of no 
familv in Virginia which has had as many representa- 
tives on the bench, at the bar and in the clerk's office 
as his. One of his brothers, Edmund Thomas Chris- 
tian, succeeded him as clerk of the courts of Charles 
City ; another, John D. Christian, was, for more than 
thirty years, clerk of the courts of New Kent county ; 
another. Turner Christian, was clerk of the courts of 
tlie city of Williamsburg ; another, James D. Chris- 
tian, was, for many years, clerk of the circuit court of 
Hanover, and another, Benjamin Christian, was deputy 
clerk of the courts of Charles (vity — thus presenting 
the remarkable case (we believe unparalleled) of six 
brothers live of whom were clerks and one a deputy 
clerk of the courts in Virginia. Indeed, the Christian 
family has been termed by some one the " court family,'^ 
and, as illustrating its right to this distinction, we will 
give the names of those who are now known to have 
been either in the clerk's office, on the bench or at the 
bar of the Virginia courts, as follows, viz. : Bat. D. 
Christian, a son of John D. Christian, succeeded his 
father as clerk of the courts of New Kent county, and 
continued such until his death ; his son, Douglas Chris- 
tian, who is just grown, is now deputy clerk for his 
brother-in-law, John N. Harris, the clerk of the same 
courts, and we are informed that this office has virtually 
]>een in the same family for nearly a century ; James S. 
Christian, another son of John D. Christian, was at one 
time a deputy in the same office, and afterwards was 
deput}^ of the courts of Hanover and King William 
counties. 



162 OLD VIKGIMA CLERKS. 

George L. Christian, a son of Edmund Thomas 
Christian, was at one time deputy clerk of tlie circuit 
court of the city of llichmond. lie tlien studied law 
hi the University of A^irginia, and was admitted to the 
Kichmond bar. Soon after this he was made clerk of 
the supreme court of appeals of Virginia, which office 
he held for about seven years, and resigned it to accept 
that of judge of the hustings court of the city of 
Kichmond. lie and his relative arid law partner, Frank 
W. Christian (who is a great nephew of liichard Jef- 
fries, for many years clerk of the district court of the 
United States for the district of Virginia,) were the 
founders of the Virginia Imw Journal^ edited it for 
several years, and are now members of the Richmond 
bar. John D. Christian, Jr., the fourth son of Edmund 
T. Christian, was at one time deputy in the clerk's office 
of Charles City, and afterwards in the circuit court of 
the city of Richmond. lie is now in the mercantile 
business in Baltimore. Benjamin T. Christian, the 
youngest son of Ednuind T. Christian, was atone time 
deputy clerk of the supreme court of appeals of Vir- 
girn'a, and afterwards of the bustings court of the city 
of Kichmond. He then studied law at the University 
of Virginia and Richmond College, was admitted to 
the Richmond bar, and became associate editor of the 
Virginia Law Journal with James Christian Lamb, 
the present editor, but died of consumption in about 
six months after coming to the bar. He was a most 
exemplary young man, and highly esteemed by all who 
knew hiiiL AValter Christian, a son of Judge Joseph 
(christian, late of the supreme court of appeals, suc- 
ceeded Benjamin T. as deputy clerk of the hustings 
court of Richmond, and still continues in that office; 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 153 

and Iwicliard A. Christian, a cousin of liis, was at one 
time deputy clerk of tlie circuit court of Riclimond. 

Several members of the Christian family were judges 
(or deemsters or dempsters as they were tliere called) 
in different parts of Great Baitain, and seem to have 
fillefl the positions with great satisfaction to their coun- 
trymen ; for we read in tlie rude lines of the song 
written and sung on the Tuurder of deemster William 
Cliristian, the '' fair haired WiUiam of Ronaldsway," 
in the Isle of ^lan — and which was as common in that 
little domain as the ballad of "Chevy Chase'' was in 
its wider sphere — of 

" Talents so great," 
******** 
"Your Justice applauded by the young and the old." 
** ** **** 

" From grief all corroding, to hope I'll repair, 
That a branch of the Christians will soon grace the chair." 
******** 

And so several meml)ers of the same family in Vir- 
ginia liave performed in the new the same parts which 
were played in the drama of life by their great ances- 
tors in the old world, and, so far as we know, the Chris- 
tians who have been judges in Virginia have tilled those 
positions with equal satisfaction to their countrymen 
here as did those in Great Britain. The following have 
been judges in Virginia, viz. : Joseph Christian, late 
judge of the supreme court of appeals of Virginia ; 
John B. Christian, late judge of the circuit and gene- 
ral courts of Virginia ; George L. Christian, late judge 
of the busting court of the city of Richmond, Vir- 
ginia ; Isaac 11. Christian, judge of the county courts 
of Kew Kent and Charles City counties, Virginia,- and 
Thomas J. Christian, late judge of the county courts 
of Matthews and Middlesex counties, Virginia. 

The following are remembered as being, or having 



ir»4 (^I.l) VTKGIXJA ("lp:kks. 

been, at the Xirgiiiia bar, viz. : Josepli Christian, John 
B. Cliristian, George L. Christian, Isaac 11. Christian, 
Thomas J. Christian, James H. Christian, Henry A. 
Christian, Saniuel V. Christian, llicliard 11. Cliristian, 
Frank AV. Cliristian, l>olivar ('hristian, Walter Chris- 
tian, James S. Christian, Edward 1). Cliristian, Aure- 
lius Christian, fFohn II. Christian, John 11. Christian, 
Jr., l>enjainin T. Christian, AVilliam S. Christian, David 
A. Christian, Chnrchill G. Christian and C. B. Chris- 
tian. There are doubtless others whose names are not 
now remembered, who are now, or have been, members 
<»f our bar ; and there are numerous descendants of this 
liame, but l)earing other names, who are, or have been, 
members of the same, e. r/., the Douglases, the Wises, 
tlie Minors, the Lambs, the Lacys, the Waddills, the 
Willcoxes and others. 

After this long digression, we return to the subject 
«>f our sketch, simply to say that he died, as before 
t^tated, on the 1st day of ]\rarch, 184(5, at his home, 
** Green way," and was buried in the churchyard at old 
*' Westover,'' whither his widow and all four of his 
sons, his sons-in-law. Colonel Willcox and Dr. Chris- 
tian, and his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Bichard Christian, 
liave all followed him. Itequiescat in pace. 

It would be safe to say that no man who ever lived 
in Charles City county was more missed and mourned 
than was Ilobert Walker Christian, the ''old cJark^^ of 
the courts, when he died. 

I^^It may be pro])er to state that dark was the pro- 
nunciation given universally to the word clerk in former 
times, as it is in England at the present day. F. J. 



■C^../Pr.S*^i.^:^^ 



OLD VIK(HNIA CLERKS. 155 

'' At a cuiu't of (luai'terly session, begun and held for 
Cliarles City county, at the court-house of said county, 
on Tliui'sdaj, the lOth day of March, 184:6— 

" On the motion of Tlionias H. Willcox, Esq., pros- 
ecutino^ attorney in this court, it was ordered that the 
following minute he entered of record : 

" The court have been informed that the death of 
Kohert AV. Christian, Esq., late clerk of this court, has 
occurred since the last term, and sympathizing sincerely 
with his bereav^ed family, as with the whole community 
of his acquaintances, have ordered this notice of their 
respect for his memory to be spread upon their records, 
that they may testify through all time to his many 
private virtues, his strict integrity, honesty, capacity 
and fidelity in the discharge of all his ofhcial duties. 

'' The deceased performed the duties of clerk of tliin 
court for tliirty-iive years preceding his death, and 
during this long period of official service so demeaned 
Idmself as to secure the full confidence of the court, 
its officers an<l bar, and his fellow-citizens generally, 
lie was eminently distinguished by that firm and in- 
rtexible disposition to do equal justice to all men which 
never fails to connnand the admiration of mankind. 
His untiring industry in prosecuting his official busi- 
ness, his acknowledged capacity, and his abiding recti- 
tude of pur})Ose, deserve and now receive from the 
magistrates their most res])ectf nl and grateful acknowl- 
edgments. Therefore, 

'' JResolved, That the court will wear the usual badge 
of mourning for thirty days, in token of sorrow for 
his death and sincere respect for his memory. 

" The bar and the officers of the court having ex- 
pressed their desire to participate in tliis token of 



150 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

respect, it is ordered to be so stated on the record. 
And the clerk is directed to deliver to the widow of 
the deceased a copy of this entry, that she may have 
the consoling assurance that the deceased occupied a 
warm place in the aifectioiLS of his associates, and that 
his death has occasioned with them the most painful 
regrets. And the clerk is also directed to furnish 
copies for publieation in all the Richmond papers. 
And as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
tlie deceased, it is ordered that the court ])e adjourned 
until the next term. 

'* A co])y — Teste : 

''Edmund Waddtll. Clerk.'' 



Edmi'M) ^VAl)l)I^,L, the j)resent clerk of the circuit 
and county courts of Charles City county, Virginia, 
was born in the said county, some six miles west of the 
courthouse, on the 2)^d day of May, 1814, and is now 
in the seventy-fourth year of his age. lie was the 
second son of Edmund Waddill and ]\rary Maynard. 
Of his brotliers and sisters only one survives — AVilliam, 
who is a resident of said county — his brother Samuel 
and sister Hettie (who was the third wife and wido\vof 
tlie Rev. James II. Christian) having departed this life 
during the past year. Edmund, the elder, was a son of 
Samuel Waddill, who intermarried with Lucy Chris- 
tian, lie departed this life in the year 1785. This 
Samuel and his brother, Richard, located in the county 
of Charles City from South Carolina, prior to the war 
of the Revolution. Richard AVaddill left a son, (ieorge 
C, who is a resident of said county, and is now in the 
eighty-third oi* eighty-fourth year of his age. 

Edmund, the subject of this sketch, received a limited 




-^^ 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 15T 

education, only such as was afforded by the common 
schools of the early part of this centuiy. But a fond- 
ness for reading and a retentive memory have, in a large 
measure, overcome the want of better advantages in 
early life, and liave brought to him a store of knowl- 
edge not often possessed by those wdio have been hb- 
erally educated. He left his home in tlie year 1833, 
and resided in the city of Richmond three years, where 
he was employed in a mercantile house. lieturning to 
his native county, he engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness on his own account, and continued therein in the 
neighborhood of his birth-place until his election to the 
clerkship. On the 14th day of April, 18-1:7, he was 
married to Mary Louisa Eedwood, a daughter of John 
and Ehzabeth Christian Redwood. John Redwood 
was a native of the county of New Kent, and was at 
one time deputy clerk of the courts of that county. 
His wife, Elizabeth Graves Christian, was a daughter 
of Joseph Christian and Graves. Joseph Chris- 
tian was a captain in the war of the Revolution, and a 
personal friend of LaFayette. After [ the war he 
occupied his farm, which he called " Soldier's Rest,'* 
in 1^he county of Charles City, on the Chickahominy 
river, a short distance below the Forge bridges (which 
on the late war maps is improperly called Jones' 
bridges). Elizabeth Graves Christian was the sister of 
the Rev. James H. Christian before mentioned, and of 
Dr. Allen Christian, who located in the county of Mid- 
dlesex. Of the marriao-e of Edmund Waddill and 
Mary L. Redwood seven children were born — Bettie, 
who died in 1850 ; John R., Samuel P., Edmund, Jr., 
Lucie T., who intermarried with Rev. Lewis B. Betty ; 
Marry Louisa, who intei-married with James H. Chris- 



IGO OM) VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

countered many difficulties, and tliat but for the encour- 
agement of liis wife would in all probability have 
resigned. Jle persevered, however, and by close appli- 
cation soon became familiar with all the duties of the 
office, wliich he has discharged intelligently, with great 
fidelity, and to the satisfaction of the court, bar and 
people. During his service the circuit court has been 
presided over by ten judges, namely : John B. Clopton, 
John M. Gregory, Joseph Christian, George T. Garri- 
son, Robert L. Montague, Benjamin W. Lacy, R. L. 
Henley, B. T. Gunter, and two military appointees. 
Clopton, Gregory and Montague are dead. Of the 
justices composing the county court few, if any, sur- 
vive, and with them has passed away the distinguishing 
feature of .the institution over which they presided. 

Shortly after Mr. Waddill's election he was appointed 
commissioner in chancery of the two courts. With 
but few exceptions he has settled all the ex parte and 
contested accounts of fiduciaries. To these settlements 
few exceptions have been taken, and when taken, his 
reports have very generally been sustained by the courts. 

Four of Mr. Waddill's sons have acted as deputies 
under him. Several other young men have written 
under him who now occupy lionorable positions in life. 
Of his sons, John R. has served as shei'ilf of the county 
of Charles City. Samuel P., in his twenty-second year, 
was elected clerk of the circuit and county courts of 
Henrico, and is now serving his third term as clerk of 
the county court of said count}^ Edmund, Jr., who, 
at the age of eighteen, accepted the deputyship of the 
courts of Hanover, who afterwards served in that ca- 
pacity in tlie circuit courts of Henrico and Richmond, 
and tlien connnenced the practice of law. In ISSO he 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 161 

was elected Judge of the county court of Ileurico, and 
resigned tliat position to accept the office of United 
States district attorney for the Eastern district of Vir- 
ginia, and is now engaged in the practice of his profes- 
sion in tlie city of Eichmond. Wilhani M., who, at 
the age of twenty, accepted a situation in the State 
auditor's office in the city of Riclimond, and is now 
employed in a mercantile house in the city of Shreve- 
port, Louisiana. Charles C. is with his father at this time. 
In politics, prior to 1840, Mr. Waddill acted with the 
whig party. From that time onward he has acted with 
the democratic party. In 1 860 he sided with the Doug- 
las wing of the party, and voted for the Douglas elec- 
tors, lie was strongly opposed to the dismemberment 
of the Union, and hoped, up to the commencement of 
hostilities, that war would be averted. When the war 
began he had passed the military age, and was therefore 
not engaged in the service. He saw much of the con- 
flict, however, as the Peninsula of Virginia was occu- 
pied by one army or the other until the close of the 
strife. He passed through that "reign of terror" set 
on foot by one General Wilde, upon the advance of 
Butler's army up the James river in May, 1864. Per- 
haps it is well, in justice to the brave men who fought 
on the federal side, that the disgraceful deeds perpe- 
trated at the command and sufferance of this man have 
never been recorded. His atrocious acts were done 
when there was no force to confront him, and his vic- 
tims were aged men and defenceless women and chil- 
dren. On the 3d day of November, 1864, Mr. Waddill 
was arrested by the federal forces, as were a number of 
the older citizens of the county. They were carried 
to General Butler's headquarters, near Varina, kept 



162 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

there a while, and then transferred to Fort Hamilton, 
near Fortress Monroe. No cause was ever assigned for 
their arrest, and they, were subject, in the midst of a 
severe winter, to the treatment of prisoners of war. 
Hurriedly taken from their homes, with no change of 
clothing, their sufferings were intense. It is hardly 
necessary to state that some of them never returned. 
Mr. Waddill and his brother, Samuel, were released in 
the early part of January, 1865. 

On tiie 18th day of June, 1862, Mr. Waddill was 
married to Miss Annie L. Wight, daughter of John 
and Margaret C. Wight. She has proven herself a 
kind and affectionate stepmother and devoted wife. 
Of this marriage six children survive : William M., 
Charles C, Margaret Y., Emily G., Julia L. and Leonora. 

In the county of Charles City there lived a large 
number of free-born colored people. In the times of 
slavery these people occupied an embarrassing position, 
and tlieir need of advice and counsel was frequent. 
Those who applied to Mr. Waddill, and there were 
many, found in him a safe counsellor and friend, and 
as circumstances changed they have shown their appre- 
ciation of his friendship. 

In 1867, in the days of reconstruction, Mr. Waddill 
was called upon by the conservative element of the 
county to become a candidate to represent the county 
in the convention called to frame a constitution for the 
State. He did not desire the office, but, under the cir- 
cumstances, could not decline. It was the first election 
in Virginia at wdiich the right of suffrage was exercised 
by the colored people. They supported the nominee 
of the republican party, and that party having a ma- 
jority in the county, Mr. Waddill was defeated. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 163 

In figure Mr. Waddill corresponds to the well-known 
descriptions of Stephen A. Donglas. Some year or 
more ago Mr. Waddill was approached upon the streets 
of the city of Richmond by an aged colored man, who 
asked if he w^as not addressing Mr. Waddill, and when 
informed that he was, he replied : " Yes, I knew yon 
as soon as I saw yon." lie then explained that he was 
the boy wlio, wdien Mr. Waddill attended school, car- 
ried the teacher's horse home, and returned for him in 
the afternoon. After the session closed, he had not 
seen Mr. W^addill until he approached him on the 
streets of Kichmond. Strong must be the outlines of 
that face and form the impression of which remains 
after the lapse of sixty years. 

And now, in conclusion, what changes liave taken 
place since the commencement of this gentleman's term 
of service ! They need not be recounted here. The 
years of his long life have been spent within sound of 
the place of his birth, and his acts and deeds have been 
open to the criticisms of those among whom that life 
has been spent, and it can be truthfully said that no 
man who has ever lived among those people has com- 
manded more of their confidence and respect. 

He has been the kind husband, the indulgent and 
affectionate parent, and good neighbor. He belongs 
to a class of men so w^ell know^n in Eastern Virginia. 
The circumstances which produced such a class of men 
have passed away. We shall not see their like again. 
Those who were the contemporaries of his youth and 
of his maturer years have nearly all been called to 
their final account, and he stands upon the border-land 
awaiting the summons. 

" Summam nee metuas diem nee oj^tesP 



164 OLD VIEGINIA CLERKS. 



CHESTERFIELD COUNTY. 



Chesterfield was formed from Henrico in 1748. Its 
clerJcs have been : 

1. Benjamin Watkins, from 1740 to 1779, 30 3^ears. 

2. Thomas Watkins, from 1779 to 1812, - 33 years. 

3. Park Poindexter, from 1812 to 1847, - 35 years. 

4. Silas Cheatham, from 1847 to 1865, - - 18 years. 

5. W. W. Cogbill, (circuit court), from 1847 

to 1863, - 16 years. 

[|^^ Killed at the battle of Gettys- 
burg, in the famous charge of Pickett's 
division.] 

6. Nathan II. Cogbill, circuit court from 

1863 to 1874 ; county court from 1865 

to 1874, - - - . - 11 years. 

7. M. A. Cogbill, (county court), from 1874 

to 1887, 13 years. 

8. E. 11. Flournoy, (circuit court), from 1875 

to 1887. ----- 12 years. 

Pe-elected in May, 1887. 




t77^7^'2^0^^yi?CO^^2^ ^^^^ , 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



165 



CLARKE COUNTY. 



Clarke was formed in 1836 from Frederick, 
clerks have been : 



The 



Of the County Court. 

1. John Hay, from 1836 to 1852, - - 

2. David 11. McGuire, from 1852 to 1861, 

3. Lewis F. Glass, from 1861 to 1869, - 

4. George Glass, from 1869 to 1875, - 

5. John M. Gibson, from 1875 to 1887, 

Of the Circuit Court. 

1. Hugh Holmes Lee, from 1836 to 1852, - 

[IS^He was considered a very excellent 
clerk and commissioner in chancery.] 

2. David H. McGuire, from 1852 to 1861, 

3. Lewis F. Glass, from 1865 to 1869, - - 

4. George Glass, from 1869 to 1875, - - 

5. John M. Gibson, from 1875 to 1887, - 



16 years. 
12 years. 

5 years. 

6 years. 
12 years. 



16 years. 



12 years. 

4 years. 

6 years. 
12 years. 



^^>-^^> v-^:^ ^& 



I6f5 OLD VIK(JINIA CLERKS. 

CRAIG COUNTY 



Craig wius formed in 1850-51 from parts of Botetourt, 
Roanoke and Giles. The clerks Lave been : 

1. John W. Yonnger, from 1851 to 1852, - 1 year. 

2. Clifton G. Hill, from 1852 to 1864, - - 12 years. 

3. J. W. Younger, from 1864 to 1865, - - 1 year. 

4. A. J. Farrier, from 1865 to 1869, - - 4 years. 

5. John Goode, (military appointment), from 

1869 to 1871, 2 years. 

6. George C. Caldwell, (military appoint- 

ment), from 1871 to 1872, - - - - 1 year. 
1. J. P. Martin, from 1872 to 1881, - - - 9 years. 
8. T. B. McCartney, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 

And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



CULPEPER COUNTY 



Culpeper was formed in 1748 from Orange. The 
clerks have been : 

1. Roger Dixon, from 1749 to 1772, - - 23 years. 

2. John Jamieson, from 1772 to 1810, - - 38 years. 

3. Wm. Broaddus, from 1810 to 1811 (died), 1 year. 

4. WilliamBroaddus, Jr., from 1811 to 1816, 5 years. 

5. Tliomas W. Lightf oot, f rom 1816 to 1831, 15 years. 

6. F. T. Liglitfoot, from 1831 to 1838, - - 7 years. 

7. Fayette Mauzy, from 1838 to 1873, - - 35 years. 

8. W. M. Mauzy, from 1873 to 1874, - - 1 year. 

9. Charles B. Payne, from 1874 to 1887, - 13 years. 

He was re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



OLD VIKGINIA CJ>EKKS. Ift? 

CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 



Cumberland was formed in 1748 from Goochland. 
The clerks of this county have been : 

1. Cadwallader Jones, from 1748 to 1760, - 12 years-. 

2. Edmund Mcholas, from 1760 to 1770 - 10 year». 

3. Thompson Swann, from 1770 to 1781, - 11 years. 

4. Miller Woodson, from 1781 to 1830, - 49 years. 

5. Miller Woodson, Jr., from 1830 to 1845, 15 years. 

6. Blake B. Woodson, from 1845 to 1881, - 36 years. 

1^^ Except two years of military rule 
(1869-70), after which he was restored. 

7. John A. Booker, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 

t^^ It will be seen that the Woodsons, father, son 
and grandson, held the office successively for one hun- 
dred years, just three generations. They were men of 
the highest character for intelligence, integrity and 
skill and usefulness as clerks, but I have not been able 
to procure a sketch of either of them. 



DICKENSON COUNTY. 



Dickenson was formed in 1 880 from parts of Buch- 
anan, Russell and Wise. There has been but one clerk r 

1. Columbus Phipps, from 1880 to 1887, - 7 years. 
He-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

Dickenson is the last county formed in Virginia. 



168 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



DINWIDDIE COUNTY. 



Dinwiddie was formed in 1752 from Prince George. 
Owing to tlie destruction of the records and papers of 
this office during the late war, the clerk has not been 
able to furnish me the names and dates of service of 
former clerks further back than 1823. The following 
have been the clerks since that time : 

1. John Mcholas, from 1823 to 1833, - - 10 years. 

2. John P. Crump, from 1833 to 1852, - - 19 years. 

3. Charles A. Hargrave, from 1852 to 1864, 12 years. 

4. William A. Adams, from 1864 to 1865, 1 year. 

5. A. M. Orgain, from 1865 to 1887, - - 22 years. 

He was re-elected in May, 1887. 
Of the CirGidt Court. 
1. AVilliam E. Mann, from 1864 to 1865, - 1 year. 



ELIZABETH CITY COUNTY. 



Ehzabeth City was one of the original shires (or 
counties) into which Virginia was divided in 1634. 
The records seem to have been not well kept or pre- 
served until the fourth clerk named below (William 
Wager) came into the office in 1746. He held the office 
for the long period of forty-fi^e years, and left it in 
good condition, which has been preserved by his suc- 
cessors. At tlie breaking out of the war in 1861, the 
records and papers w^ere taken into tlie country for 
preservation, but a great many were lost or destroyed. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 169 

and the sequence of all clerical transactions liopelessly 
broken up. The clerks, so far as can now be ascer- 
tained, were as follows : 

1. Charles Jennings, from 1714 to 1724, - 10 years, 

2. Thomas Neighbours, from 1721- to 1742, 18 years. 

3. Thomas Everard, from 1742 to 1746, - 4 years. 

4. William Wager, from 1746 to 1791, - - 45 years. 

5. Johnson Tabb, from 1791 to 1806, - - 15 years. 

6. W. AVestwood, from 1806 to 1810, - - 4 years. 

7. AVestwood S. Armistead, from 1810 to 

1848, - 38 years. 

8. Samuel S. Howard, from 1848 to 1861, 13 years. 

9. William S. Howard, from 1865 to 1870, 5 years. 

10. L. D. Seymour, (acted by deputy), from 

1870 to 1875, 5 years. 

11. S. E. Bickford, from 1875 to 1887, - - 12 years. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 



Essex was formed from a part of old Rappahannock 
in 1692. The records in this, as in all the early shires 
or counties in Virginia, were very imperfectly kept 
and preserved. From the best information now at- 
tainable we find that the clerks of Essex have been as 
follows : 

1. W^illiam Beverly, from 1716 to 1745, - 29 years. 

2. John Lee, from 1745 to 1761, - - - - 16 years. 

3. John Lee, Jr., from 1761 to 1786, - - 25 years. 

4. Hancock Lee (son of John, Jr.), from 

1786 to 1793, -------- 7 years. 



170 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

5. Jolm P. Lee (brother of Hancock), from 

1703 to 1814, 2\ years. 

6. "Wm. Bajnliam Mattliews, from 1814 to 

1830, - - IG years. 

7. James Hoy Micoii, from 1830 to 1887, - 57 years. 

H^^Tliis includes two years (from 1SG9 to 1871) 
when Mr. Micou was deputy of Robert Pringle, who 
was clerk during the military reffime, but allowed Mr. 
Micou all the emoluments of the office, doing no part 
of the work himself. 

The four Zees (John, John, Jr., Hancock and John 
P.), who were successively clerks of Essex from 1745 
to 1814 (sixty-nine years), were of the Westmoreland 
family (perhaps more distinguished tlian any other 
family in Virginia), and all of them bore the highest 
character as clerks and as highly educated gentlemen. 

I learn from a private letter from James Poy Micou 
that he was born on the lf»th day of April, 1807. He 
was first appointed clei'k of Essex county by the jus- 
tices of that court, many of whom were highly edu- 
cated gentlemen, and all men of the highest character 
for intelligence. Mr. Pobert Beverly, of P>landford, 
is especially remembered as one of the ablest justices 
that ever sat on the bench of Essex county court. 
This first appointment was in 1830, and the office has 
been held by J. K. Micou continuously from that time 
to the present (February, 1887), a period of fifty-seven 
years, tli rough all the different changes made by the 
constitutions of 1829-30, of 1851-2, and of 1808-9, 
as to tlie appointment of clerks by their respective 
courts, and of election by the people. This is a case 
without a parallel in the history of Virginia clerks. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 171 

That of Kobert Hudgin, clerk of Caroline, is next to 
it, liis being the same length of time (fifty-seven years), 
but interrupted by his retirement from the office for a 
few years, when he was engaged in the practice of the 
law. It has been said that there has been a friendly 
contention for a long time between these two old wor- 
thies as to which of them has held their offices the 
longest. Mr. Micou, at the age of eighty, like his 
friend from Caroline at the age of eighty-five, is at 
work in his office every day, and both of them are can- 
didates for re-election. May they both be triumphantljr 
re-elected ! 



/ 




^M° Memorandum made after the election of Maj 
26th, 1887 : The annexed slip from a Richmond paper 
gives the painful information that J. It. Micou, in the 
late slaughtering of old clerks by the republican party 
of Virginia, lost his election. 

"election returns ESSEX COUNTY. 

" James Eoy Micou, Esq., the present clerk of the 
county and circuit courts, but who was defeated on 
Thursday last, has passed his four-score years, and has 
been the incumbent of the office for fifty-seven years. 
He is a most genial and affable gentleman, and belongs 
to the old school. No one could say aught against him 
as a gentleman or as an officer. With increasing years, 
his zeal and attention to his office never flagged, and his 
efficiency, with the aid of a deputy, was equal to what 
it had been in his palmier days. Much regret is felt by 
his many friends that in his declining years he should 
be deprived of an office which he had so long and faith- 
fully filled, and which is his only means of support." 



172 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

FAIRFAX COUNTY. 



Fairfax was formed in 1742 from Prince William, 
and named after Lord Fairfax^ the proprietor of the 
*^ Northern Neck." |^^ From a note on pages 1 9- 
20-21 of the " Dinwiddle Papers," presented, in 1881, 
by W. W. Corcoran to the Virginia Historical Society, 
we learn that " Thomas Fairfax, sixth Lord and Baron 
of Cameron, was the friend and patron of George 
Washington in his early life ; that he was born in 1691, 
and died at his seat, ' Greenway Court,' Frederick 
county, Virginia, December 12th, 1781 ; that he in- 
herited from his mother the vast estates in Virginia, 
comprising 5,282,000 {^fii^e million^ two hundred and 
eighty-two thousand) acres of land, lying between the 
Pappahannock and Potomac rivers, known as the 
* Northern Neck.' " A princely domain ! 

The clerks of Fairfax have been as follows : 

County Court. 

1. Catesby Cooke, from 1742 to 1740, - - 4 years. 

2. John Graham, from 1746 to 1752, - - 6 years. 

3. Peter Wagoner, from 1752 to 1798, - - 46 years. 

4. George Deneale, from 1798 to 1801, - 3 years. 

5. William ]\Ioss, from 1801 to 1833, - - 32 years. 

6. F. D. Ilichardson, {pro tem.\ from 1833 

to 1835, 2 years. 

7. Thomas Moss, from 1835 to 1839, - - 4 years. 

8. Alfred Moss, {pro tem.\ from October, 

1839, to November, 1839, - - - - 1 mo. 

9. S. M. Pall, from 1839 to 1852, - - - 13 years. 
10. Alfred Moss, from 1852 to 1861, - - - 8 years. 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 173 

1 i . H. T. Brook,(inilItarj), from 1 8G1 to 1 865, 4 years. 

12. V^. B. Gooding, (military), from 1865 to 

1866, --.--------1 year. 

13. William M. Fitzliugli, (military), from 

1866 to 1867, - - ---'.-- 1 year. 

14. F. D. Eichardson, {jjro te7n.), from 1866 

to 1869, - - - - 3 years. 

15. D. F. DuLmy, (military), from 1869 to 

1870. 1 year. 

16. F. D. Eichardson, from 1870 to 1880, - 10 years. 

17. F. W. Eicliardson, {prote7n.),iroin 1880 

to 1881, 1 year. 

18. Frederick W. Eichardson, from 1881 to 

1887, - - _ - - - 6 years. 

1^^ Ferdinand Dawson Eichardson was born in the 
year 1 800, and entered the clerk's office under William 
Moss in 1 826 ; was either clerk, deputy clerk or assist- 
ant clerk to the date of his death, October 13th, 1880, 
a period of fifty years. His son, Frederick Wilson 
Eichardson, was born December 16, 1853, and went 
into the clerk's office when he was eighteen years old 
(1871) ; served as deputy and assistant clerk until the 
death of his father in 1 880, when he was elected clerk 
of the county and circuit courts, and has continued so 
until the present time (1887). 




174 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. . 

Circuit Court. 

1. William Moss, from 1831 to 1835, - - 4 years. 

2. F. D. Ricliardson, from 1835 to 1880, - 45 years. 

[Except during tlie war and military 
reign, when Job Hauxhurst and Wil- 
liam L. Edwards filled the office.] 

3. F. W. Eichardson, from 1880 to 1881, - 1 year. 

4. John A\^. Graham, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 




general washington's will. 

Office Clerk of the County Court, ) 

Fairfax C. 11., Ya., Jan. 21, 1870. f 

To the Editor of the Alexandria Gazette : 

May I presnme upon yonr liberality to make a few 
remarks throngh the columns of the Gazette in regard 
to a certain article which recently appeared in the 
Hartford Times in relation to the keeping of General 
Washington's will, reflecting not only npon the clerk 
of the court, but upon the historic county of Fairfax, 
and the mother of States, old Yii-ginia. The article 
states "that valuable document is now on file in the 
office of the clerk of the court of Fairfax county, Vir- 
ginia. It is kept in a glass case, and, from appearances, 
the writing has almost faded away. Owing to its old 
ase it will not bear handlino-. The clerk of the court 
Bome years ago had it copyrighted, so that now, under 
the copyright law, he is the only person who has a right 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 175 

to publisli it. In the spring of 1S76 tliis clerk piib- 
lislied the will in pamphlet form, and sold a great many 
copies at the Centennial, and also in other parts of this 
country." This paragraph is false in almost every par- 
ticular. 1st. It is not kept in a glass case, but in a 
Miller safe. 2d. The writing is as bright now as it was 
the day the venerable President wrote it. 3d. The 
clerk of the court has never had it copyrighted, nor 
did he sell any copies of it at the Centennial. Some 
years ago Mr. Andrew Jackson, at that time a resident 
of this place, made a complete copy of the will and 
had it certified by the clerk and published as such. He 
was assisted in this by the Hon. W. W. Corcoran, of 
Washington, D. C, and these are tlie copies sold at 
the Centennial. Clekk." 

Extract of letter from the present clerk as to Gene- 
ral Washino^ton's will : 

" When the Union forces took possession of Eich- 
mond, tliey went to the State library, and as old man 
Lewis, who was secretary of the Commonwealth under 
the Pierpont government, says, * scattered the papers 
all over the floor, and took what they wanted, but over- 
looked Washington's will.' Mr. Lewis subsequently 
picked it up, and kept it until after the war, when Mr. 
O. W. Hewitt was sent by the county court of Fairfax 
to Richmond after the will, and returned with it, and 
it has been here ever since." F. W. R. 



176 OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 

FAUQUIER COUNTY. 



Fauquier was formed in 1750 from Prince William. 
The clerks of the county court have been : 

1. Humphrey Brooke, from 1750 to 1793, 34 years. 

2. Francis Brooke, fi'om 1703 to 1805, - - 12 years. 

3. Hugh R. Campbell, from 1805 to 1813, 8 years. 

4. Daniel AVithers, from 1813 to 1821, - - 8 years. 

5. John A. W. Smith, from 1821 to 1832, 11 years. 

6. William H. Jennings, from August, 1832, 

to October, 1832, 2 mos. 

7. A. J. Marshall, from 1832 to 1846, - - 14 years. 

8. William H. Jennings, from 1846 to 1850, 13 years. 

9. William A. Jennings, from 1850 to 1860, 10 years. 

When he was succeeded by James 
Rogers, a military appointee, for one 
year — say 1st January, 1870, - - - 1 year. 

10. T. N. Fletcher, from 1870 to 1871, - - 1 year. 

11. William M. Hume, from January, 1871, 

to August, 1872, - ------ 18 mos. 

12. T. N. Fletcher, from 1872 to 1874, - - 2 years. 

13. K H. Downman, from 1874 to 1887, - 13 years. 
And was re-elected for six years in May, 1887. 

[Note. — All of these clerks were natives of Fau- 
quier county except James Bogers, military appointee. 
The second clerk, Francis Brooke, was afterwards one 
of the judges of the court of appeals.] 

The clerks of the circuit superior courts of law and 
cliancery and of the circuit courts of Fauquier have been : 

1. Hugh E. Campbell, from 1800 to 1813, 3 years. 

2. Berkely Wood, from 1813 to 1831, - - 18 years. 

3. William F. Phillips, from 1831 to 1852, 21 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 177 

4. John S. Byrn, from 1852 to 1869, - - 17 years. 

When Eobert L. Eeillj became clerk 
bj mih'tary appointment, and held the 
office nntil the 6th of April, 1870, 
wlien he resigned, and — 

5. John S. Byrn was re-appointed, and held 

the office nntil July, 1881 — which 11 
years, added to his first service of 17 
years, makes a total of 28 years. 

6. John E. Turner, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 
Aud was re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



FLOYD COUNTY. 



Floyd was formed in 1831 from Montgomery. The 
clerks have been : 

1. William Goodson, from 1831 to 1845, - 14 years. 

2. John N. Zentmeyer, from 1845 to 1854, 9 years. 

3. James B. Headen, from 1854 to 1858, - 4 years. 

4. Wm. B. Shelor, from 1858 to 1864, - - 6 years. 
6. Jackson Godby, from 1864 to 1875, - - 11 years. 
6. B. P. Elliott, from 1875 to 1887, - - - 12 years. 

[^"During the military government, when the 
iron-clad oath was required, John F. Edwards qualified 
as clerk of both courts, and continued in office from 
April, 1869, to July, 1870, but J. Godby did the busi- 
ness of the office as his deputy. J. Godby was under 
political disabilities after July, 1870, for several years, 
and at one time William Campbell was appointed clerk 
of bath courts, and B. P. Hylton at another time, but 
J. Godby discharo^ed the duties of the offices. 



Its OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



FLUVANNA COUNTY. 



Fluvanna was formed in 1777 from Albemarle. The 
clerks have been : 

1. John Cobbs, from 1777 to 1783, - - - 6 years. 

2. John Timberlake, from 1783 to 1831, - 48 yeara 

3. Abram Shepherd, Jr., from 1831 to 1869, 

when he was removed by military au- 
thority, and John A. Hughes appoint- 
ed, who held the office for a year, but 
did not discharge any of its duties, A. 
Shepherd discharging them, and in 
1870 A. Shepherd was re-elected and 
held the office until 1875, making a 
total of 44: yeara. 

4. William Sclater, from 1875 to 1887, - - 12 yearsr. 




<-^'>^ 



f<r-y>^ ^/^.r^-^r Ctsrj*^-4Z> , 



U/jl^: j(sMji^f^n.t>r^'p 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 179 



FRANKLIN COUNTY. 



Franklin was formed in 1784: from Bedford and 
Henry. The clerks of the county court have been : 

1. Stephen Smith, from 178tt to 1791, - - 7 years. 

2. James Callaway, from 1791 to 1813, - 22 years. 

3. Caleb Tate, from 1813 to 1838, - - - 25 years. 

4. Moses G. Carper, from 1838 to 1852, - 24 years. 

5. Kobert A. Scott, from 1852 to 1871, - 19 years. 

6. James J. Carper, from 1871 to 1887, - 16 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

District and Circuit Courts. 

1. James Steptoe, from 1789 to 1797, for 
district composed of Bedford, Frank- 
lin, Campbell, Pittsylvania and Henry 
counties, 8 years. 

2*. Ben Rice, j9r6> tern, from 1797 to 1800, - 3 yeai^. 

3. Caleb Tate from 1797 to 1805, in place 

of James Steptoe, resigned, - - - 5 year^. 

4. Same, circuit superior court of law and 

chancery, from 1809 to 1845, - - - 36 yeai^s. 

6. Moses G. Carper, from 1845 to 1858, - 7 years. 

6. Henry E. Carper, from 1858 to 1862, - 4 yeai^. 

7. ^N". C. Carper, from 1862 to 1863, - - 1 year. 

8. James E. Greer, from 1863 to 1864, - - 1 year, 

9. G. H. T. Greer, from 1864 to 1887, - - 23 year^ 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

J^^ A long line of excellent clerks, all of whoiii 
had been well trained as deputies in their respective 
offices. 



180 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



FREDERICK COUNTY. 



Frederick was formed from Orange in 1738. Its 
clerks liave been : 

1. James Wood, from 1743 to 1760, - - 17 years. 

2. A. Wagere, from 1760 to 1762, - - - 2 years. 

3. James Keith, from 1762 to 1821:, - - - 62 years. 

4. Thomas Allen Tidball, from 1824 to 1856, 32 years. 

5. Thomas Allen Tidball Pteiley, from 1856 

to 1858, 2 years. 

6. J. P. Eeiley, Sr., from 1858 to 1859, - 1 year. 

7. J. C. Keiley, from 1859 to 1865, - - - 6 years. 

8. C. W. Gibbon, from 1865 to 1870, - - 5 years. 

9. J. H. Sherrard, from 1870 to 1871, - - 1 year. 

10. J. P. Pveiley, Jr., 1871 to 1887, - - - 16 years. 

11. J. A. Xulton, elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

Frederick county, Virginia, was laid off from the 
county of Orange in the year 1738, but the commission 
appointing Morgan Morgan and twelve other justices of 
the peace was not issued until October 2d, 1743, and 
the first court for the county was held in Stephensburg 
on the 11th day of November, 1743. At tliis court 
James Wood produced his commission as clerk of the 
county (which was issued by Wm. Good, Esq., lieu- 
tenant-governor of Virginia), and qualified as such. 
James Wood held the office of clerk until 1760, when 
A. Wagere was appointed clerk and James Wood his 
deputy. The court was then adjourned from Stephens- 
burg to the court-house in Winchester, where it has 
ever since been held. A. Wagere does not seem to 
have held the office of clerk for any length of time, 



OLD VIRGINIA CLP^KKS. 181 

for James Keith, of Alexandria, appears as clerk in 
the deed-book of 1st of June, lTfj2. He lield the 
office (with Thomas Allen Tidball as de})iity from 
1804) until some time in 1821. After tlie death of 
James Keith, in 1821-, Thomas Allen Tidl)all was ap- 
pointed clerk, and, wdien the oftice was made elective 
by the people, he was elected to the office withont 
opposition, and held it until the time of his death. 

A desire to know the jpersonnel of the subject of a 
sketch is natural. We tlierefore introduce the reader 
to Thomas Allen Tidball as a man about medium height, 
with tlorid complexion, acrpieline nose, blue eyes and 
sandy hair of the true Hibernian type, lie was born 
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 14th of January, 
178G ; his parents were of Scotch-Irish descent, (his 
mother was of the family of Scotts, of Pennsylvania). 
The father of Thomas Allen Tidball was a merchant 
in the city of Philadelphia, but moved to Winchester, 
Virginia, when his son, Thomas, was about four years 
old. The wife of the subject of this sketch was Susan 
Hill, a daughter of Kev. William Hill, D. D., of Win- 
chester, Virginia, to whom he was married on the 18th 
of ISTovember, 1813. They had three children, Joseph, 
Scott and Bettie, of whom Bettie alone is living. 

Mr. Tidball's life was moral in the liighest accepta- 
tion of the term, and of such exemplary character as 
to draw from the public meeting after his death this 
encomium : " '* - - that his character had long 
been tlie standard of excellence and worth and a pat- 
tern to his religious friends "^^ ^ ''^." He connected 
liimself with the Presbyterian Church February 1st, 
1852, and was elected and ordained a ruling elder in 
Loudon Street church of Winchester, Virginia, on the 



182 OI-D VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

14tli of Jaiiiiarj, 1855. In 1804, in tlie nineteenth 
year of his age, he became deputy clerk of the county 
of Frederick, under James Keith, who resided in Al- 
exandria. ITe held the position of deputy until the 
death of Mr. Keith, which occurred in 1824, when he 
was appointed clerk by the county court. When the 
aj^pointing power was taken from the court by the 
amended constitution of Virginia, he was elected clerk 
by the people without opposition. 

He held the office of clerk and president of tlie 
Valley Bank until his death, which occurred in April, 
1856, in the seventy-first year of his age, having been 
in the public service for fifty-two years. 

In writing the life of an individual the author is 
greatly aided if there be eccentricities in his character. 
Idiosyncrasies serve as marks, like some central figure 
in a group, by which the person is readily recognized. 
He of whom I write liad none of the peculiarities 
which mark the eccentric man. It has ever been the 
desideimtuTYi of the educator to adopt some system of 
training which would cultivate all the faculties of the 
mind and heart, so that reason and aHection should be 
well balanced. This desirable end has rarely been 
attained, but wliat train in^^ has so often failed to accom- 
plish — the well-balanced mind — is beautifully illus- 
trated in the life of Thomas Allen Tidl)all. In 
his character there were no rough edges, no asperity, 
nor any of the' little things that destroy tlie harmony 
of many a good man's cliaractei". But there was a 
smoothness and roundness of his whole being which 
inspired all who knew him with admiration aiul love. 
"VYe have seen that he undertook the office of clerk 
(practically) in his nineteenth year, and held it until the 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 183 

time of his (ieatli in liis i^e verity-first year. So long a 
public servant, and under so many different powers of 
appointment, is rarely to be found. And how gratify- 
ing it must be to those who loved him to know that the 
voice of the people proclaimed him " a faithful public 
servant." In his dealings with his fellow-men no one 
possessed a higher sense of honor. His word was law 
to him. Tender in his feelings, avoiding offense to the 
feelings of others, firm in his principles, every one 
knew where to find hiuL " Do you recollect Mr. Tid- 
ball ?" was asked of a friend. '' Yes," was the reply ; 
" a truer and better man never lived." Says his only 
daughter : " If he had any of the frailties common to 
humanity, his family were ignorant of the fact ; to me 
he seemed perfect — not a defect — was benevolent, 
charitable and good to a degree rarely attained." 

Some one has said : " If you wish to learn the true 
character of one, go to his home." The domestic cir- 
cle is the crucible which brings out the true from the 
false — the gold from the dross — and how few there are 
who can stand the test. The husband, the father and 
the master are positions of great delicacy, and often 
develop traits which are not supposed to exist in many 
a man. Severe as this test is, seven years under his 
roof and daily intercourse with the subject of this 
sketch, convinces the writer that he was in all these 
relations a model man. As a host he was unsurpassed ; 
the entertainments at his residence were models of ex- 
cellence. During the existence of the old "district 
court," the bench and bar were often handsomely enter- 
tained at "Hawthorn," and many were the surprises 
which the poorer people of the neighborhood received 
through the kindness of his excellent wife on every 



184 OLD VIRiJINIA CLERKS. 

occasion of these big dinners. His character was not 
negative; his life abounded with acts of benevolence. 
Eorn in tlie humbler walks of life, he by his own 
energy worked himself into a position of usefulness 
far surpassing the bauble of inheritance. Ilis life was 
spent in useful labor; and his mastery over himself 
will stand as a monument to him, for "he who ruleth 
his own spirit is greater than he who taketh a city." 

Indulge the writer in a reminiscence of the family 
of Mr. Tidball. AVlien the writer, in his fourteentli 
year, entered the family, it consisted of Rev. AVilliam 
Hill and wife, jMr. Tidball and wife and their three 
children, Joseph, Alex. Scott and Bettie Morton. Wil- 
liam Marshall, of Happy creek, and Lewis Armstead, 
of Fauquier, became members soon after. Bettie 
Morton (now Mrs. Thurston), of Cumberland, and the 
writer, are the only living members of the family. 
Joseph was an accomplished scholar ; became a lawyer, 
removed to California, and left the impress of his 
genius on the country of his adoption. Alex. Scott 
had gone to the same State before his brother, and 
became in that new country an artist of some note. 
AVilliam ]\Iarshall died before completing his educa- 
tion. Lewis Armstead graduated at West Point, and 
in the civil war espoused the cause of the Confederacy, 
and at the bloody battle of Gettysburg was killed in 
his saddle. For naught, does the reader say ? Xo, no, 
dear reader, not for nauglit, but for a principle. The 
fundamental truth for which the South contended is 
not lost, but lives as an element, working as leaven in 
the new United States — silently but potently restoring 
tlie original chart to the old ship of state. 

Up to the period to which we liave brought the his- 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 185 

tory of Frederick — 1S5G — politics did not enter as an 
element in the appointment or election of county 
officers, and no State can boast of more efficient and 
accomplisLed officers than those who filled the clerk- 
ships of Frederick and adjoining counties. Moore of 
Jefferson, Phillips of Fauquier, AVilliams of Shenan- 
doah, Gr amble of H ai-dy, White of Hampshire and 
Tidball of P^rederick, were gentlemen whose high 
qualities are well remembered. 

From the time of organizing the county of Fred- 
erick (1743) to the close of Mr. Tidball's term (1856) 
embraces a period of one hundred and thirteen years, 
and during that long time only four persons — Wood, 
Wagei'e, Keith and Tidball — filled the office. But 
from 1856 to 1887 we have a period of only thirty-one 
years, and in that short time it will be seen that it re- 
quired ten persons to fill the office, which had been 
done by four persons for one hundred and thirteen 
years. If there is a moi-al m this fact, let the curious 
find it out. 

After Mr. Tidball's death, his son, Alex. Scott, was 
appointed by the court in May, 1856, and the elec- 
tion which took place in the same month elected Thomas 
Allen Tidball Eeiley, who qualified in July, 1856. 
His service was short, as he died unexpectedly. In 

1857, E. E. Seevere was appointed by the court. The 
regular election, which took place in the spring of 

1858, elected J. P. Eeiley, Sr., who qualified in July, 
1858. J. P. Eeiley, Sr., had been deputy under Mr. 
Tidball. He was a remarkable man. His memory 
was wonderful. He seemed to know where any papers 
in the office would be found. Asa political organizer 
he shaped and directed the politics of the county as he 



186 OLD VIKdlNTA CLERKS. 

pleased. At first a whig, he defied the democrats, with 
a whig majority of sev^eral hundred ; but, without 
warning, he changed sides, espoused the democratic 
cause, and at tlie first election turned the county over 
to the democrats with a majority of several hundred. 
Had he been ambitious, he would have rivaled a Tal- 
leyrand. 

J. P. Reiley, Sr., resigned, and his son, J. C. Reiley, 
was appointed in his place, and afterwards elected and 
qualified in July, 1859. In 1865 the readjusted county 
elected C. W. Gibbon, and his son, C. M. Gibbon, was 
appointed in his place. In 1870 J. II. Sherrard was 
appointed to succeed C. M. Gibbon. Mr. Sherrard 
was defeated at the election of 1871 by J. P. Reiley, 
Jr., who filled the office of "clerk of the county" 
until the last election (May, 1887), when T. K. Cart- 
mell was elected, and is the present clerk of the county. 
It will be seen that J. P. Reiley, Sr., and his three 
60US held the office of clerk" for about twenty-five years. 

Of J. II. Sherrard the writer would love to speak ; 
but as he was only clerk for a brief i)eriod, it would 
be out of place to give him more than a passing notice. 
He was every whit a gentleman. Sir Humphrey Smith 
has said, " All be not gentlemen that are called gentle- 
man"; but Mr. Sherrard did not belong to Sir Hum- 
phrey's category. For he was a gentleman of the 
olden times — courteous without ostentation. Few men 
Lave been more honored and respected by the commu- 
nity in which he lived than J. II. Sherrard. And now 
that he is blind, every heart yearns w^ith sympathy for 
the "ex-judge." 

We have now closed the history of the county clerks. 
"We will now briefly name the clerks of the higher 



OLD VIRGINIA CLP:RKS. 187 

courts, embracing the old district court, superior court 
and circuit court, under one head — the superior court. 
John Peyton was the lirst clerk (1793) ; Daniel Lee 
was appointed in 1804; Robert E. "White, in 1812; 
Joseph Kean, in 1825 ; W. G. Singleton, in 1859 ; E. 
S. Brent, in 1865. J. B. Burgess was elected in 1871, 
and continued clerk until he was defeated by J. A. 
Nulton in 1881 ; and at the last election (1887) Xulton 
was re-elected, and is now the present clerk of the cir- 
cuit court. J Q 13 



GILES COUNTY. 



Giles was forn^ied from Montgomery in 1806. The 
clerks of the county court have been : 

1. David French, from 1806 to 1833, - - 27 years. 

2. Eufus A. French, from 1833 to 1856, - 23 years. 

3. Hugh Woodrum, from 1856 to 1858, - 2 years. 

4. Edward Johnston, from 1858 to 1864, - 6 years. 
6. John W. Easley, from 1865 to 1868, - 3 years. 

When he was superseded by William 
K. Booker, (military appointee), from 
1868 to 1870, 2 years. 

6. George ^Y. Easley, from 1870 to 1874, - 4 years. 

7. Henry W. Broderick, from 1875 to 1881, 6 years. 

8. James B. Peck, from 1881 to 1883, - - 2 years. 

9. Ballard P. Watts, from 1883 to 1887, - 4 years. 

Circuit Court Clerks. 

1. James W. English, from 1856 to 1864, - 18 years. 

2. Henry W. Broderick, from 1865 to 1868, 3 years. 

When he was superseded by George 
W. Porterfield, (military appointee). 



188 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



GLOUCESTER COUNTY. 



Gloucester was formed in 1642 from York, and is 
one of tlie oldest counties in Virginia, but, unfortu- 
nately, nothing, or almost nothing, is known or can now 
be ascertained concerning the early clerks of the county, 
owing to the fact that, in the year 1S20, all the records 
were destroyed by the burning of the clerk's office. 
At that time, Arthur L. Davis (whose portrait now 
hangs in the clerk's office) was clerk. The fact that a 
portrait of A. L. Davis had been prepared and hung 
in the clerk's office would seem to imply that he was a 
prominent man of his day, and very highly esteemed. 
Tliere may have been others equally so, but no record 
of them has been preserved. The county being invaded 
by the federal army during the late war, the records 
were removed to Richmond, where they shared the 
same fate, by the burning of the city, as those previous 
to 1820. 

The clerks, since 1820, have been : 

1. Arthur L. Davis, from 1820 to 1837, - 17 years. 

2. John R. Carey, from 1837 to 1867, - - 30 years. 

3. John Thawley, (military appointee), from 

1868 to 1870, - - ----- 2 years. 

4. John S. Cooke, from 1870 to 1887, - - 17 years. 



OLD VIKGIXIA CLEKKS. 189 

^ GOOCHLAND COUNTY. 



Goochland wats formed in 1727 from Jleiirico. The 
clerks have been : 

1. Henry Wood, from 1728 to 1753, - - 25 years. 

2. Yalentine Wood, from 1753 to 1781, - 28 years. 

3. George Payne, from 1781 to 1791, - - 10 years. 

4. William Miller, from 1791 to 1846, - - 55 years. 

5. Narcissus W. Miller, from 1846 to 1868, 22 years. 

6. William Miller, Jr., from 1868 to 1887, 19 years. 

I^" This includes two years (1868 and 1869) when 
Mr. Miller was tlie acting clerk for a military ajp- 
pointee^ who was too ignorant to attend to the business, 
and, in fact, could scarcely write his name ! 




^^^ The two Woods^ father and son, were noted 
men in their day, and worthy of a more extended 
" memorial " than it has been in my power to procure 
from any of their descendants or from others. The 
following has been furnished me by a member of the 
Southall family, (a grandson of Yalentine Wood 
Southall^ which was copied from a paper left by Yal- 
entine Wood as a memorandum- of his family descent : 

WOOD. 

Valentine^ and Rachel Wood, of London, liad issue 
two children — 

I. Ilachel,^ died, unmarried, in England. 

II. Henry Wood,^ born in London July 8, 1696, (old 
style) ; sailed from London March 4, 1713, and arrived 



VM\ OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

at Yorl<town, Virginia, ]\lay 10, 1 713 ; lived with Chris- 
topher Robinson, as liis apj)rentice as a merchant, on 
liappahannock river ; left Robinson August 2, 1716, 
and came to Henrico county, and settled at " Bremo,'' 
in Henrico, November, 1717. Henry Wood was a per- 
son of good education, strong natural parts, and un- 
common vivacity of temper. He acted forty-odd years 
as an attorney at law and as county court clerk, and in 
both of these occupations gained much credit, and estab- 
lished an unblemished character, and also acquired a 
considerable fortune for his children. He married on 
Sunday, the 13th October, 1723, Martha Cox, daugh- 
ter of Wilham and Sarah Cox, and died at his seat of 
" Woodville," in Goochland county, May 2, 1757. 

Issue of Henry Wood. ^ and Martha, his Wife. 

I. Valentine,^ colonel in the Revolutionary army; 
born Wednesday, September 2, 1724, at 2 o'clock in 
the morning, and baptized Friday, October 23, 1724, 
William Finney — Stephen Cox and Ann Hopper spon- 
sors; married January 3, 1704, Lucy Henry, (born in 
Hanover county March 29, 1743, died in Fluvanna 
county, July 14, 1826), daughter of Colonel John 
Henry (father of Patrick Henry) and Sarah Winston 
Henry, and left issue eight children. 

II. Sally,^ born December 4, 1726; baptized Janu- 
uary 29, 1727; married William Pryor. 

III. Patty, ^ born October 7, 1732 ; married AVilliam 
Meriwether July 21, 1751. 

IV. Three other children, who died unmarried. 

'Issue of Valentine^ and lucy {.Henry) Wood. 

1. Henry, ^ died unmarried. 

ir. Martha,'' born in Goochland county ]\[arch 12, 



OLD VIKUINI.^. Or.ERKS. ID I 

1768, and died in Washington cltj September 30, 1834; 
elie married twice — first, Major Stephen Sonthall, of 
" Westham," Henrico conntj, eldest son of Colonel 
Turner Soutliall ; second, married George Frederick 
Stras. 

III. Mary,* married Judge Peter Johnston, son of 
Peter Johnston, of " Cherry Grove," Prince Edward 
county, Virginia, 

lY. Valentine, * died unmarried. 

V. Lucy, married Edward Carter, son of Edward 
Carter, of " Blerdieim," Albemarle county. 

VI. John,* married Gertrude Spencer, daughter of 
Charles Spencer. 

1^^ The tliree 2rdlerH^ father, son and grandson, 
who successively held the office of clerk for about one 
hundred years, were men of the highest character, and 
were all accomplished clerks. 



GRAYSON COUNTY. 



Grayson was formed in 1703 from Wythe. The 
clerks have lieen : 

Of the County Court. 

1. William Pourn, from 1793 to 1812, . - 19 years. 

2. Martin Dickenson, from 1812 to 1834, - 22 years. 

3. James Anderson, from 1834 to 1841, - 7 years- 

4. John Dickenson, from 1841 to 1851, - 10 years. 

5. William K. Dickey, from 1851 to 1852, 1 year. 

6. S. M. Hale, from 1852 to 1858, - - - 6 years. 



192 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

7. James W. Balliircl/froni 1858 to 18^)5, - 7 years. 

8. E. L. Dickey, from 1865 to 1870, - - 5 years. 

9. D. C. Mallory, in place of E. L. Dickey, 

removed by the first coimty judge, and 
served eight mouths. 

10. E. L. Dickey, re-elected uikI served from 

1S71 to 1875, --------- 4 years. 

11. F. J. Lundy, from 1875 to 1887, - - - 12 years. 

1^^ Martin Dickenson, John Dick- 
enson, William 11. Dickey, B. M. Hale, 
E. L. Dickey and E. J. Lundy were 
all related to William i>ouru, the iirst 
clerk, hy l)lo!)d or marriage. 

Of the CinniU Court 

1. Martin Dickenson, from 18ol to 18JJ-], - 2 years. 

2. Samuel McCamant, from 1833 to 1835, - 2 years. 

3. Orville Anderson, from 1835 to 1851, - 16 years. 

4. Garland Anderson, ^vho held the office - 1 year. 

When he resigned in April, 1852, and, 
strange to say, no person could be found 
(as the records show) who would accept 
the office, and it was vacant for four 
months, that is, until July 1, 1852, when 

5. Jackson B. Hash, who had been elected 

in May, 1852, went into office, and held 

it until Jul}", 1858, - - ----{) years. 

6. Ct. it. Matthews, from 1858 to 1861, - 3 years. 

7. F. J. Lundy, from 1861 to 1864, - - - 3 years. 

8. W. C. ?>ourn, from 1864 to 1865, - - 1 year. 

9. L. H. Bryant, from 1865 to 1861), - - 1 years. 
10. S. S. Cornutt, (military appointment), 

from 1869 to 1870, - ----- 1 year. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 193 

11. E. L. Dickej, from 1870 to 1875, - - 5 years. 

12. F. J. Lundj, from 1875 to 1887. - - - V2 years. 

1^^ AY. C. Bourn, L. H. Bryant and S. S. Cornutt 
did none of the business of tlie otiice, wliicli was all 
transacted by F. J. Lundy, wlio had been employed in 
the office nearly all the time from 1850, and is now 
clerk. 




/y^-n- 




^^^Z^-^'T^yn^ 



GREENBRIER COUNTY. 

(now in west VIRGINIA.) 



Greenbrier was formed in 1777 from Botetourt and 
Montgomery. As to the clerhs of the county, though 
this work was originally intended to embrace only 
those of Yirginia proper, I have made an exception 
in favor of Greenbrier, as was done with Jefferson, 
and for the same reason — that is, that the memorials in 
both cases were of clerks whose service was almost 
wholly in Yirginia before the w^ar, and before the dis- 
ruption of the State and the formation of "West Yir- 
ginia ; and for the additional reason that they were ex- 
ceptionally good clerks, or otherwise remarkable men. 

CLERKS OF GREENBRIER COUNTY. 

Colonel John Stuart was born on the 27th day of 
March, 1749, in Augusta county, Yirginia. He was 
the only son of David Stuart, wdio was a brother-in- 



194 OLD VIRGINIA CI>ERKS. 

law of Jolin Lewis and one of the iirst settlers of Au- 
gusta county. 

Colonel Stuart came to what is now (rreenbrier 
county when about nineteen years of age, at the time 
of the second and permanent settlement in 1769. 
When General Andrew Lewis, who was a first cousin 
of Colonel Stuart, marched to Point Pleasant in 1774, 
two com]ianies went witli liim from what afterwards 
became Greeidjrier county. One of these companies 
was commanded by Captain Eobert McClenachan and 
the other by John Stuart. At the battle of Point 
Pleasant Captain Stuart's company was one of the 
three sent by General Lewis up Crooked creek to flank 
Cornstalk's position. This movement was executed so 
dexterously that the Indians were taken completely by 
surprise and put to rout. The battle of Point Pleas- 
ant has been, by historians of no mean repute, held to 
be the commencement of our first revolution. Colonel 
Stuart was in many engagements with the Indians; 
the last being in 1778, when a party of Indians came 
from beyond tlie Ohio and surprised and surrounded 
a party of settlers at Fort Donnally. This fort was 
about eight miles nortli of Fort L^nion, where Lewis- 
burir now stands. Colonel Stuart was at Fort LTnion 
at the time and, when the news came, organized a force 
and went to the relief of Fort Donnally. Tlie Indians 
were defeated, and this was the last attack made by 
them upon the Greenbrier settlement. 

Greenbrier county was organized in 1778, and tlie 
records of tlie county court show that on the 2r)th day 
of November, 1780, John Stuart was appointed clerk 
of said court. He was indeed a model clerk. He 
wrote a most excelk^it liand, plain clear, distinct, and 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 195 

after a liundred years is as legible as if written but a 
dozen years ago. At the close of tlie first deed-book 
of the county, he wrote a history of the settlement of 
the Greenbrier country, which can be pointed to as not 
only an example of neatness in writing, but also of 
literary culture and taste. In this account of the early 
settlement of Greenbrier, Colonel Stuart, in speaking 
of the first wagon road opened from Lewisburg to the 
Kanawha in 1786, makes this statement: "And thus 
was a communication l)y wagon to the navigable waters 
of the Kanavrha first effected, and which will probably 
be found the nighest and best conveyance from the 
eastern to the western country that will ever be 
known." When one contemplates the distance and 
grades over the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, the fore- 
sight and judgment of Colonel Stuart stand boldly out. 

Colonel Stuart married, in 1778, Mrs. Agatha Frogg, 
widow of Captain William Frogg. She was the daugh- 
ter of Thomas Lewis, who was a son of John Lewis 
and brother of General Andrew and Colonel Charles 
Lewis. By this marriage he had four children — two 
sons and two daus^hters. Maro^aret married Andrew 
Lewis, of Mason county ; Jane married Robert Crock- 
ett, of Wythe county ; Charles A. married Elizabeth 
Robinson, of Augusta county, and Lewis married Sarah 
Lewis, daughter of John Lewis, of Bath. 

Colonel Stuart was very successful in business, and 
amassed a large fortune, both real and personal. He 
was an excellent judge of land. He secured, at that 
early day, large bodies of as fine land as there is in the 
county of Greenbrier. When he first came to Green- 
brier he settled near where the town of Frankford now 
stands, but afterwards moved to near Fort Spring, four 



19r> OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

miles south of Lewi&biiri^, wliere lie had an estate of 
nearly four thousand acres. On this estate he built, in 
1789, that large stone house which is now in a good 
state of preservation, and occupied and owned by his 
grandson, Andrew Stuart. ' In this old mansion he 
hospitably entertained his friends, and was visited here 
by the French philosopher, Yohiey, who brought a let- 
ter of introduction from General Washington. Here, 
too, he was visited by his numerous acquaintances from 
the eastern part of the State. 

In the year 1793 he was appointed lieutenant-colonel 
of the Seventy-ninth regiment of Virginia militia. 
His commission, signed bj^ Henry Lee, governor of 
Virginia, is now in the possession of Colonel Stuart's 
great-granddanghter, Miss Mag. L. Price, of Lewisburg. 

In 1796, when the stone church was built by the 
Presbyterians in Lewisbm'g, he took an active part in 
the matter ; prepared the subscription paper, and 
headed it with two hundred and fifty dollars, which 
sum, it is said, his wife supplemented with four hun- 
dred dollars. In the western end of this same church 
there is a slab over the front door with this inscription, 
chiseled by the hand of Colonel Stuart, to-wit : " This 
building was erected in the year 1790, by a few of the 
first inhabitants of this land, to commemorate their 
affection and esteem for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
Reader, if you are inclined to applaud their virtues, 
give God the glory." 

In 1797 he was elected a member of *' Tlie American 
Philosophical Society," held at Philadelphia, and the 
certificate thereof, signed by Thomas Jefferson, presi- 
dent, is also in the possession of said great-granddaugh- 
ter. This certificate is evidence of the esteem in which 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 197 

his literary attainments were held. He was a reading 
man, with a very inquiring mind, and had, for that day 
certainly, a library of valuable books. 

On the 22d day of September, 1807, feeling the in- 
firmities of age no doubt, he tendered to the county 
court his resignation as clerk thereof, and his son, Lewis, 
was a])j)oiiited in his place. 

The first clerk's office of the county stood in his yard, 
and was built by him for the benefit of the county, and 
is still standing, in a fair state of preservation. He also 
granted to the county the site upon which the stone 
court-house in the town of Lewisburg was built in the 
year 1800. 

On the 23d day of August, 182*3, in the seventy-- 
fifth year of his age, he departed this life, and was laid 
away in his family burying-ground, hard by his stone 
mansion, and there around him four generations of his 
family now sleep. 

Colonel Stuart at an early day encouraged a class of 
Scotch-Irish to settle in the Greenbrier Yalley, from 
whom has descended a numerous race of thrifty and 
intelligent citizens. M. L. S. 

SKETCH OF LEWIS STUART. 

Lewis Stuart, second son of Colonel John Stuart, 
was born in Greenbrier county, on the 16th day of May, 
1784. As stated in the account of Colonel John Stuart, 
Lewis was appointed clerk of Greenbrier county court 
upon the resignation of bis father, on tlie 22d day of 
September, 1807. The same year, to-wit : October 
15th, 1807, be married Sarab Lewis, daughter of Colo- 
nel Jolm Lewis, of Bath county, and granddaughter 
of Colonel Charles Lewis — ^' brave Charley" — who fell 



198 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

at the battle of Point Pleasant. lie came Into posses- 
sion of the home place, near Fort Spring, upon the 
death of his father, and the whole of that large and 
vahiable estate is now owned by liis descendants. 

He held the office of clerk of the county court until 
the 1st of June, 1830, when the constitution of 1830 
took effect; and, on the ITtli day of April, 1809, he 
was commissioned by Judge Coulter as the first clerk 
of the superior court of law of Greenbrier county, and 
held the same until June, 1831. 

Mr. Stuart died on the 2Tth day of January, 1837. 
He had live sons who lived to maturity, viz : John, 
Charles A. and Lewis Stuart — all dead — and Henry 
nnd Andrew Stuart, the two youngest sons, still living 
in Greenbrier county, on some of the lands owned by 
Colonel Stuart. Mr. Lewis Stuart had four daughters. 
Pachel mai-ried General A. AV. G. Davis; Jane mar- 
ried Governoi" Samuel Price ; Agnes married Charles 
L. Peyton, and Margaret married Colonel James W. 
Davis. 

Mr. Stuart died when he had passed only a few 
vears beyond the meridian of life, leaving, as before 
stated, a very handsome estate, which had, in the main, 
descended to him under the will of his father, and 
whilst he never added much to this j)atrimony, still he 
manaired his affairs in such manner as to raise and ed- 
ucate his family and keep intact his large estate, and 
before his death, made his "last will," leaving his 
entire estate, personal, mixed and real, to his wife, 
Mrs. Sarah Stuart, having full confidence that she would 
make a wise and equal distribution tliereof among their 
children, which she did to the letter. 

He was a kind and indulgent master to his servants, 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 199 

of whom he had quite a niimher, granting them tlie 
time and opportiinity to cultiv^ate crops of their own, 
and tlms add to their personal comfort and enjoyment; 
and to one and all of his tenants he was very generous. 

Whilst for a number of the last years of his service 
as clerk of the county and superior courts of law of 
Greenbrier county, Mr. Stuart did not give his undi- 
vided personal attention to the discharge of tlie duties 
of his othces, lie always had a competent, trustworthy 
and acceptable deputy clerk in place to wait upon the 
public, and during the terms of the courts he was al- 
ways at his office or in the court then sitting, and in his 
bland and pleasant manner responding to any and every 
call made upon him as such clerk. He was a ready 
writer, and, when at his best, was a very competent 
clerk, having no doubt been well and faitlifully trained 
in all the duties of a clerk by his father. 

The friends and descendants of Mr. Stuart may point 
with pride and pleasure to the iirst order book of the 
i^uperior court of law of Greenbrier county ; the orders 
entered therein are very fine specimens of neatness, 
clearness, and in admirable legal form, and by compari- 
son would put to blush many of the hasty and imper- 
fect orders prepared by our modern clerks. His neigh- 
bors and friends almost idolized him, and well they 
might, for he was the soul of generosity and kindness. 
For many years his house was open and his bounteous 
table surrounded by guests. 

At the first session of the circuit superior court of 
law and chancery of Greenbrier county held after the 
adoption of the constitution of 1830, the Hon. Allen 
Taylor, judge of the Greenbrier circuit, tendered to 
Mr. Stuart the clerkship of said court, and if Mr. Stu- 



200 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

art Iiad desired tlie place of clerk of the county court, 
and liad taken any pains to interest his friends in his 
behalf, no doubt, when the county court first met under 
8aid new constitution, he would liave been, by the jus- 
tices of the county, elected clerk of the said court. But 
he chose the quiet and retirement of home, surrounded 
by an interesting- family, to tlie cares and responsibilities 
of a clerkshi]). 

His remains rest in the same family ])urying-ground 
near to the ^''Old Fort Spring ChurGh^- rendered sacred 
as the resting place of his father and mother. Gover- 
nor Price and wife, and many other descendants of 
Colonel John Stuart. 

SKETCH OF JOHN A. XORTH. 

John A. North was born in the town of Staunton, 
Virginia, on the loth day of December, 1794, and in 
that place received his education and made his home 
until the autumn of 1818, when he was by the late 
Ohancellor Brown appointed clerk of the Greenbrier 
district court of chancery. Upon receiving this ap- 
pointment he removed to Lewisburg, where that court 
was holden, and thereafter he made that place his 
home. On the 15th day of Jul}^, 1819, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Charlotte Blain, eldest daughter of the 
Rev. Daniel Blain, of Lexington, Virginia. They had 
four daughters, all of whom lived to be grown and 
married. Margaret A., the eldest, was married to the 
late Robert Johnston, at one time first auditor of Vir- 
ginia ; Mary E., the second daughter, married Thomas 
F. Ilamner, of Charlotte county, Virginia. These 
ladies died in early life, leaving no children. The 
third daughter, Isabel, married James R. Caldwell, of 



OLD VI KG I XI A CLERKS. 201 

Augusta county, Yirginia ; and the youngest danghter, 
Martha J., married Captain Hobert F. Dennis. The two 
last are still living in Lewisbnrg and its vicinity. The two 
Miss Caldwells and J. North Caldwell, all grown and 
h'ving near Caldwell depot, are all of the grandchildren 
of Mr. North now liviner. 

Mr. North held the appointment of clerk of the 
district court of chancery until the' constitution of 
1829 and 1830 changed the entire judicial system of 
the State. In the year 1831, when the supreme court 
of appeals of the State was organized in Lewisburg, 
he was by that court of five judges unanimously ap- 
pointed its clerk, which position, by subsequent ap- 
pointments, he held until his death, which occurred in 
the month of September, 1857. In the year 1831 he 
was also appointed clerk of the circuit superior court 
of law and chancery of Greenbrier county. This po- 
sition he also held, by virtue of subsequent appoint- 
ments and the suffrages of the people, until his death. 
On the failure of the health of Mr. John Mathews, 
clerk of the county court of Greenbrier, Mr. North was 
chosen his deputy, and had charge of that office until 
the death of Mr. Mathe^vs, and was then appointed 
clerk pro tern, of the county court until a successor was 
elected and duly qualified. 

Mr. North was no ordinary man. Of keen percep- 
tion, superior judgment and very fine common sense, 
he was no common judge of the law, and his opinions 
were often sought and always respected even by the 
profession. He never studied the law regularly, but 
from his strict habits of statute reading, his long at- 
tendance on the courts, listening to and remembering 
the legal oj^inions and decisions he from time to time 



202 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

heard delivered, made liiiii botli a .safe and judicious 
counsellor. As evidence of Lis iiiie judgment, it may 
be stated that on one occasion a gentleman came from 
the North, having claim to considerable estate.' He 
made Mr. North's acquaintance and stated the nature, 
ifec, of his claim to him. He assured him that he had 
a good and sul)stantial claim, and advised him to em- 
ploy a lawyer Avhom he named. This lawyer, after 
listening to a history of the case, gave it as his decided 
opinion that he could never recover. On the advice 
of Mr. North, he interviewed another good attorney, 
who also gave his opinion as adverse to success, but 
added that if he desired him to do so, he would com- 
mence proceedings, which he did in the circuit court 
of Greenbrier county, and after the case was fully 
lieard, it was by that tribunal decided against Mr, 
North's friend. Mr. North was so confident of the cor- 
rectness of his opinion that he then said to the plaintiff 
and to his attorney, "Take this case to the court of 
appeals, and consent to take one-half of the recovery, 
and your attorney and myself will divide the other half, 
and I will undertake, if you fail, to pay all the costs 
of such appeal.'' It was taken to the appellate court, 
and the judgment of the circuit court reversed in toto. 
And this is only one instance of many of a similar 
kind that could be mentioned. 

Mr. North was a very superior clerk and draftsman, 
with a memory ecpial to any and every emergency. In 
all of his intercourse with the court, bar and suitors, 
during his long service as clerk, he was the polite and 
accommodating gentleman. Kind to the poor, his hand 
and heart Avere open to relieve their wants. In a pro- 
miscuous company he was reticent, but when with 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 20»5 

liis special friends lie was full of life and a very agree- 
able companion. Of delicate constitution and frame 
(never weigliing over one hundred and thirty pounds)^ 
it was wonderful the amazing amount of physical and 
mental labor he endured. In politics he was a whig, 
and all his inthience was for that party. Fair and honest 
in all his eiforts for tlie advancement of the cause he 
espoused, ever appealing by reason and argument to 
the judgment of the voter, he did much in moulding'^ 
the political faith of the county and maintaining through 
long years, in every election, a very decided whig ma- 
jority. 

By education and early training Mr. Xorth was an 
Episcopalian, and when he moved to Lewisburg, find- 
ing no Episcopal organization, he identified himself 
with the Presbyterian denomination, and always will- 
ingly and generously contributed to the support of that 
church. 

Durino- the war of 1812, when not of aij-e, he volun- 
teered in a company that went from Staunton and 
served until its close. 

SKETCH OK :vrAlJK L. SJ'OTTS. 

Mark }j. Spotts was born the 31st day of May, 1812,, 
in Lewisburg, Greenbrier county, then Virginia, now 
West Yirginia. This little towii has had many advan- 
tages. It was the place where the court of appeals 
held its sessions from ISol to ISO I. It is nine miles 
from the (Ireenbrier White Sulphur, so celebrated as 
a summer resort. It has been visited l)y some of the 
most noted men of our country. And it has not been 
unmindful of its advantages, for it has as few rude 
people in it, in proportion to the population, as any 



204 OLD YIKGIMA CI.KKKS. 

town ill the land. It was in this town that ]\Ir. Spotts 
was edncated, in company with (reorge W. Taylor, 
James jMcElhenney, Thomas Mathews, Dr. Thomas 
Creigh and William S. Plnmmer, who rose to great 
eminence as a divine. Hev. John McElhenney, D. D.,' 
John Spotts and others were his preceptors. 

In December, 1829, ^Er. Spotts commenced to write 
in the clerk's office of John A. North, clerk of the 
chancery conrt of Lewishurg. Mr. Xorth Toeing an 
accomplished clerk, it was not long nntil Mr. Spotts 
had acquh'ed snch proficiency as to he called on to 
assist ]\Ir. John ^NEathews, the clerk of the county court 
of (Ti-eenbrier. hi 1834 he was appointed deputy for 
R. W. Moore, clerk of the United States district court 
at Lewisburg. Before a year had elapsed he was ap- 
pointed by the county coui't of Greenbrier commis- 
sioner of the revenue. This office he filled until the 
office became elective, and then he was elected, holding 
the position for twenty consecutive years. He was a 
merchant in Lewisburg from the year 1849 to 1857. 
From 1857 to 1859 he was clerk of the Covington and 
Ohio railroad company, under the immediate super- 
vision of that accomplished gentleman, Charles B. Fisk. 
He was deputy sheriif from 18G0 to 1802. From 
January, 1869, to January, 1873, he was the deputy of 
George II. Lewis, and did the business of recorder of 
Greenbrier county. 

In August, 1872, he was elected clerk of the county 
court of Greenbrier county for the term of six years 
from the ensuing January. In 1878 he was again 
elected county clerk. At the expiration of this last- 
mentioned term in 1884, no amount of persuasion 
could induce Mr. Spotts to be a candidate for another 



Cl.n VIK(MMA CLKKKS. 205 

term uf the clerksliip. He cunseiittMl to stay in tlie 
office with the new clerk until he should heconie fa- 
miliar with the duties of tlie utiice and tlie books and 
papers which filled its shelves. And this lie did. 

There was reason for the retireineur <>f Mr. Spotts. 
He had tlie clerk's office in perfect order. 1 1 v was the 
only man alive who could put liis hand on any and 
every paper in the office, and it was time another was 
being trained. Mr. Spotts, by a long life of labor and 
care, had accumulated a good estate, and his age re(piired 
that he should cease the tread-mill life of a (derk. He 
is now enjoying his ease with dignity. 

In 1858 he was elected an elder of the Lewisburg 
Presbyterian Churcli at tlie same time with the late 
Governor Samuel Price, Thomas Mathews, David S. 
Creigh and John W. McPherson, upon the occasion of 
Dr. McElhenney's semi-centennial as pastor of said 
church, and Kev. Dr. W. S. Phimmer assisted in the ordi- 
nation. He is yet a ruling elder, honored by all the 
church. Indeed, at the centennial celebration of the 
organization of the Lewisburg church, in 1888, Mr. 
Spotts was chosen as the fit man to prepare and deliver 
the address. This he did to the acceptaiKx; of the 
church. 

In every instance in which Mr. Spotts held office he 
either resigned (jr refused to be a candidate again. He 
walked orderly ; he conversed discreetly ; he gave lib- 
erally ; he was always firm ; he never overbore ; he 
has a well-rounded character ; he is a true Yirginian. 
"What greater praise can be besto^red i He could not 
have been less than he is with his ad^-antages. Living 
so near the White Sulphur Springs, he improved the 
opportunity of meeting with many of the first and best 



200 OM) \1KGINIA CI>EKKS. 

men of this country. Think of those with whom he 
has had converse : Revs. John McElhenney, D. D., 
James Brown, D. D., W. S. Plnmmer, D. D., Lyman 
Beeclier, D. D., Dr. Vandyke, Dr. Moore ; also, the 
men of note in civil life: first Judge Brown, Major 
Shelfey, General Bald\\'in, General Blackburn, Judge 
Taylor, George W. Taylor, James Withrow, Sr., the 
Cald wells, first and second Governors Floyd, Andrew 
Jackson, Henry Clay, Van Buren, General William 
Henry Harrison, Chapman Johnson, General Walter 
Jones, W. C. Hives, Governor McDuwell, Andrew 
Stevenson, Captain Chark^s Arlmckle, Charles A. Stuart, 
Ballard Preston, George W. Summers and Governor 
Mathews. With many of tliese he had close converse. 
Mr. Sj^otts has, in many ways, been fortunate; but 
the most fortunate circumstance of his life was his mar- 
riajjfe to Miss Virainia W. Wiatt, a coimection of that 
gifted Virginia family, the Cahells. 



GREENE C( )rXTY 



(irc'cne was formed in 1S:>S fi'oni ()i-ange. The 
clerks have been: 

1. Pliilip Fry, from 18:>8 to 184:4, - - - C years. 

2. Robert Pritchett, from 1844: to 180:^, - 19 years, 
a. W. S. P»eazley, from 1863 to 1870, - - 7 yeai*s. 
4. Daniel Miller, from 1870 to 1871, - - 1 year, 
r.. Wm. F. Sims, from 1871 to 1877, - - 6 years. 
<;. (^). K. Hume, from 1877 to 1887, - - - 10 years. 
7. Z. K. Page, elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



OLD VIK«;rNIA Cr.KRKS. 207 



GREENSVILLE COUNTY. 



Greeiijjville was formed in 1781 from Brunswick. 
The clerks have been : 

1. Peter relliam (formerly depiitj clerk of 

Brunswick), from 1781 to 1807, - - 26 years. 
t^^From the manner in which the 
records were kept, he must have been 
an excellent clerk. 

2. Edmunds Mason, from 1807 to 1831, - 27 years, 

I^^He was a line clerk, and much 
respected by all. He was one of the 
most prominent men of his day, and 
father of Hon. John Y. Mason, who 
from being a deputy in his father's 
office attained great eminence as a 
lawyer, judge, cabinet officer and pres- 
ident of the constitutional convention 
of 1851-2. 

3. WilKam Blow, from 1834 to 1840, - - 6 vears. 

1^^ The most accomplished clerk that 
Greensville ever had. He committed 
suicide in a fit of insanity. 

4. John B. Chambliss {jpro tern.), from 1840 

to 1841, 1 year. 

I^^One of the most eminent lawyers 
of liis day ; for a long time common- 
wealth's attorney ; afterwards mem- 
ber of the secession convention and of 
the confederate congress. 



208 OLD Vlli(;lNIA CF.ERKS. 

5. Josc])li Turner, from 1841 to 1850, - - 15 years. 
|;^"^A fine clerk, and lield in liigli es- 
teem, as attested by the fact that he 
was re])eatedly re-elected by tlie people 
without opposition, lie was considered 
one of the most efficient clerks of his day. 

•P'. 1). A. (iHil)orne (^^pro tein.)^ from 1856 to 

185S, - - 2 years. 

7. John W. l\>tts, from 1858 to ISOO, - - 11 years. 
t^^A native of Sussex, and very pn »m- 
inent in Masonic and church affairs. 

J8. 'AVin. II. Judkins (military appointee), 

from 18f)9 to 1870, ...... \ year. 

1^^ Tlie only one of the f (,>rmer clerks 
who is now alive. 

^. E. L. Turner, tlie present incumbent, was 
appointed under the enabling act of 
1870, and elected by the people in No- 
vember of that year ; was re-elected in 
]N^ovember, 1874, at which election the 
constitutional amendment was adopted 
which made clerks and other county 
officers eligible in May, and extended 
their terms to six years ; and in May, 
1875, he was elected for a term of six 
years, and again in 1881 — the last time 
without opposition, receiving every 
vote cast except four. This sufficiently 
attests the estimate in which he is held 
as a clerk. Total period of his service, 17 years. 
Tie-elected for six years in ^May, 1887. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. SOD 



HALIFAX COUNTY. 



Halifax was formed in 1752 from Lunenbur^f. The 
clerks have been : 

Of the County Court, 

1. George Currie, from 1752 to 1773, - - 21 years. 

2. Paul Carrington, from 1773 to 1776, - 3 years. 

3. George Carrington, from 1776 to 1797, 21 years. 

4. John Wimbish, from 1797 to 1818, - - 21 years. 

5. Samuel Williams, from 1818 to 1834, - 16 years. 

6. William Holt, from 1834 to 1852, - - 18 years. 

7. William S. Holt, from 1852 to 1864, - 12 years. 

8. J, D. Clay, from 1864 to 1878, - - - 14 years. 

9. James Medley, Jr., from April, 1878, to 

IS^ovember, 1878, - - iiio^^ 

10. E. H. Yaughan, from 1878 to 1887, - - 9 years. 
And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

Of the Circuit Court. 

1. W^illiam Holt, from 1810 to 1857, - - 47 years. 

2. AVilliam S. Holt, from 1857 to 1858, - 1 year. 

3. James Medley, from 1858 to 1869, - - 11 years. 

4. W. P. Ensey!! from 1869 to 1875, - - - (] years. 

5. George C. Holt, from 1875 to 1879, - - 4 years. 

6. T. K. Jordan, from 1879 to 1887, - - 8 years 

Ke-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

1^^ There were clerks of both courts by ujilitary 
appointment during the years of reconstruction, but 
their names are not given. 



SXO OLD VIRGINIA CI.EKK.3. 

HANOVER COUNTY. 



Hanover was formed from New Kent in 1720. From 
a memoraiichiin furnished by Bickerton L. Winston^ 
who went into the clerk's office of the county court in 
1834, and remained as such for eight years, the follow- 
ing list has been prepared, which he thinks is substan- 
tially correct : 

Clerks of County Court. 

1. James or William Claytor, from 1720 to 

1740, ----------- 20 years. 

2. William Pollard, Sr., from 1740 to 1781, 41 years. 
Z. William Pollard, Jr., from 1781 to 1829, 48 years. 

1^^ Known as B'dJij Particular. 

4. P. P. Winston, from 1829 to 1846, - - 17 years. 

5. A¥. O. Winston, from 1840 to 1862, - - 16 years. 

6. P. (). Doswell, (and clerk circuit court), 

from 1862 to 1869, ----- 7 vears. 

7. Jo] in P. Taylor, (and clerk circuit court 

from 1875 to 1887), from 1870 to 1887, 17 years. 
Pe-electedin ]\ray, 1887. 

Clerks of Circuit Court. 

1. Thomas Pollard, from 1819 to 1829, - - 10 years. 

2. Philip B. Winston, from 1829 to 1846, 17 years. 

3. William O. Winston, from 1846 to 1851, 5 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 311 

4. W. T. H. Pollard, from 1851 to 1858, - T years. 

|k James D. Christian, from 1858 to 1869, 11 years. 

6. J. Alexander Brown, from 1875 to 1887, 
and re-elected in May, 1887, for full 

term, - - - - 12 years. 

Ee-elected in May, 1887. 

t^^ It will be seen from above that the clerkship 
Jias been held by the Pollards and the Winston's in 

•direct succession for more than a hundred years a 

long and honorable record — all of them being noted 
in their day for their skill, intelligence and usefulness 
^« clerks. Besides these Pollards, of Hanover, Eobert 
Pollard, Sr., (son of William, Sr.), was for many years 
<?lerk of King and Queen, as was also his son, Eobert 
Pollard, Jr. ; also John Pollard, (father of Eev. John 
Pollard, of Eichmond). Another Eobert Pollard and 
J. M. Pollard were clerks of King William, and Ben- 
jamin Pollard (known as Ben Trusty) was at one time 
■clerk of Accomack and afterwards of the circuit court 
<jf the citv of Eichmond. 



HENRICO COUNTY 



Henrico was one of the eight orignal shires into 
which the colony of Virginia was divided in 1634. 
The clerks have been (since the government was estab- 
lished after the Eevolutionary war) : 
1. Adam Craig, (county court), from 1781 

IS^S^ - 27 years. 

% Izard B. Whitlock^, (county court), from 

1808 to 1825, ------_. 17 years. 



212 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

3. Loftin N. Ellett, (county court), from 

1825 to 1852, .------. 27 years. 

t^^ See sketch below. 

4. James Ellett, (county court), from 1852 

to 1855, ---------- 3 years. 

t^^ He was subsequently appointed 

clerk of tlie circuit court ; entered the 

confederate service in 1861, and was 

killed at the battle of Fredericksburg, 

December, 1862. 
f>. John N. Harrison, (county court), from 

1855 to 1857, -------- 2 years. 

(\. "William Fowlkes, (county court), from 

1857 to 1860, .--.-'--- 12 years. 

When he was removed by the military 

axdhorities. 
7. Temple Ellett, (circuit court), from 1867 

to 1871, ----- 4 years. 

5. Samuel P. Waddill, from 1871 to 1887, 16 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



SKETCH OF LOFTI.X NEWMAN ELLETT. 

Loftin Xewman Ellett, eldest son of Daniel and 
Sally Newman Ellett, was born on the 22d day of Au- 
gust, 1707, in the county of King William, State of 
Virginia. His father, having been presiding justice of 
the King William county court for a number of years, 
secured for his son a position in the clerk's office of 
Henrico county coui-t, with ]\lr. Izard Bacon Whit- 
locke, the clerk. When he was about twelve yeai*s old 



OM) VIRGINIA (H.KKKS. 213 

he came to the city of Iticlimond, where the clerk's 
office of Henrico conuty was located, and went regu- 
larly into the office, where he staid about eight or ten 
nionths, when he returned to his father's, in King Wil- 
liam county, where he remained about one vear. He 
then came to the city of Richmond again, and entered 
the clerk's office of Henrico county court permanently 
with Mr. Whitlocke, who was still clerk. 

On the Oth day of April, 1819. when in his twenty- 
second year, he was appointed and rpialified as deputy 
clerk. On the 18th day of December, 1828, he mar- 
ried Ann Virginia, eldest daughter of William D. 
Wren, of liichmond, Virginia. 

On the 6th day of June, 1825, on the death of Izard 
Bacon AYhitlocke, he was elected and qualified as the 
clerk of Henrico county court. He had been the ac- 
tive clerk several years before his election, as he had 
farmed the office from Mr. Whitlocke, who could not 
attend to the duties on account of ill-health. He was 
re-elected for several successive terras, holding the office 
and discharging all of its onerous duties faithfully and 
acceptably to all persons until the 5th day of July, 
1852, when the new constitution of Virginia went into 
effect, and he was succeeded by his eldest son, James 
Ellett, who was elected to fill the. same office. A few 
years after he was elected clerk, by constant and steady 
writing, he lost the use of his right hand, particularly 
of the two first fingers, which entirely deprived him of 
the capacity for writing. In this dilemma, by strong 
will and perseverance, in a short time he could use his 
left han.d, and wrote a better hand than he did with his 
right. After his retirement from the clerkship, he 
was appointed a commissioner in chancery by the Hen- 



214: OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

rico cniintv court, wliicli })()siti(ni lie lield for several 
years. 

About tlie rear 1857 or 1858 lie was ap|X)inted by 
Judge J. I). Ilalyburton clerk of the district and cir- 
<-uit courts of the United States for the Eastern dis- 
trict of Virginia, which position he held until April, 
1861, at the breaking out of the war between the States. 
He was then appointed to the same position nnder the 
confederate government, which he held until April, 
1865 — tlie day of the surrender. lie then remained 
in private life, (piietly, until the 27th day of Novem- 
ber, 1805, when, very suddenly, "the silver cord was 
loosened," and his spirit took its flight to that " house 
MOt made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'' 



HENRY COUNTY. 



Henry was formed in 1776 from Pittsylvania. The 
clerks of the county have been : 

1. John Cox, from 1777 to 1808, - - - - 31 years. 

% Waller Iledd, from 1808 to 1825, - - 17 years. 

3. Sanfoi-d Eeamey, from 1825 to 1831, - 6 years. 

4. A. M. Dupiiy, from 1831 to 1845, - - 14 years. 
f>. Jerry Griggs, from 1845 to 1864, - - 19 years. 
r>. Geo. D. Graveley, from 1804 to 1809, - 5 years. 

7. T. E. Donegal!, from 1809 to 1870, - - 1 year. 

8. Geo. D. Graveley, from 1870 to 1875, - ^ 5 years. 

9. J. H. Matthews, from 1875 to 1887, - - 12 years. 

Ee-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



OI.l) VI KG I MA CLERKS. 215 

SKETCH OF ANTHONY M. DUPUV. 

AHtliony M. Dupuj was born in the city of J Rich- 
mond about the beginning of the present century. Jle 
was descended from a Virginia family of the very 
liighest respectability and standing, and in early life 
received such an education as the means of his family 
and the circumstances of the times justilied. Having 
received a legal education and obtained license to prac- 
tice law, about the year 1820, by the advice and through 
the influence of the late Wm. K. Chaplain, of Bedford, 
then a prominent and leading lawyer practicing in the 
county of Henry, he was induced to settle in the town 
of Martinsville, the present county seat of that county. 
Mr. Dupuy pi-acticed law in th(? counties of Patrick, 
Henry and Franklin until the November county court 
of Henry, 1825, when, upon the death of A\^aller Redd, 
he was a})pointed by Judge Fleming Saunders, then 
judge of that circuit, his successor. 

By the provisions of the amended constitution of 
1829-3<), the clerks of courts were to be appointed hy 
their respective courts; and the general assend)ly hav- 
ing by the act of March 18, 18f->], prevS(;nbed the term 
of office to i)e seven years, Mr. Dupuy was continuously 
appointed for twenty -seven years, fllling the office until 
the first ijeneral election under the amended constitu- 
tion of 1851-2, which came off in the month of Octo- 
ber, 1852. The ratification of that constitution swept 
away all the old landmarks by which the State had 
been guided ; the election of all the officers, from the 
judges of the court of appeals down to that of over- 
seer of the poor, was submitted to the people, and a 
thorough revolution in the legislative, executive and 



210 ol.l) \IK(rINIA CLERKS. 

judicial departments of the o-(jvenuiieiit elfected. At 
that election ^[r. Dupuy, altliongli ardently supported 
by a very large proportion of the wealth and intelli- 
gence of the county, was defeated. Although no one 
called in (juestion the ahility, zeal and fidelity with 
which he discharged the important duties of his office 
during that long period, still he was defeated, under 
the infiuence of the insane and delusive cry that the 
offices of Yii-ginia had, ever since the foundation of 
the government, been in the hands of the gentlemen 
of the "old regime^^ who f(jr many years had reaped 
the emoluments of office ; that the State had been ruled 
by an "oligarchy"; that the popular verdict had, in 
language too plain to be misunderstoo<l, demanded a 
change, and that it was high time for the old "set," 
who had grown fat on the perquisites of ofiice, to step 
aside and let the novi homines come in for their share. 
After his defeat, Mr. Dupuy continued to reside in the 
town of Arartinsville until the day of his death, from 
cancer of the stomach. 

It was the concurrent testimony of the entire bar 
who during his incumbency practiced in Henry, of all 
the officers of the county, as well as the entire conimn- 
nity, that for diligence, faithfulness, accuracy, for sys- 
tematic arrangement of the papers under his charge, 
the strict formality as well as the legality with which 
his orders were drawn up, Mr. Dupuy had few equal? 
and no su]>eriors in the broad limits of A'irginia. 

The old clerks of X^irginia were men of the very 
highest social standing, who, by their sound, discrimi- 
nating judgment, their extensive knowledge of the 
practical part of the law, their long experience and 
their uid)lemished character, had won for themselves 



OLD A^IRGINIA CLERKS. 217 

tlie iiiibouiKled coniidence of tlie coininiiiiities in wliicli 
tliej lived. Among these Mr. Dnpnj occupied a high 
and deserving rank. 

" Go search the world of living men, 
Where will you find their like again ?" 

Mr. Dupuy was possessed of social qualities of tlie 
very highest type, was fond of the society of his friends 
and intimate acquaintances, and by those who knew 
him and enjoyed his confidence he was held in the very 
highest esteem. S. Gr. S. 



HIGHLAND COUNTY. 



Highland was formed in 184:7 from 23arts of Bath 
and Pendleton. There have been but two clerks, be- 
sides three military appointees : 

1. Adam Stephenson, from 1847 to ISG-i, - 17 years. 

2. Jacob C. Matheny, from 1864 to 1865. 

Being disqualified from holding the 
office, on account of his active partici- 
pation in the vmr of the rebellion^ Cap- 
tain Matheny had to retire, but dis- 
charged all the duties of clerk for A. 
J. Jones from 1865 to 1869, and for 
Thomas H. Sloven to 1870, when he 
was aj^pointed clerk by the judge of 
the county court, and has held it from 
that time to 1st July, 1887 — making, 

in all, ^ - 23 years. 

And was re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



21s CMJ) VIKGINIA CJ>EKKS. 

MEMOKIAL OF ADAM STEPHENSON. 

Adaiii Stephenson, the first clerk of Highland county, 
was l)orn March 15th, 1811, in Bath county. He had 
very limited advantages of education, bnt, by his own 
unaided exertions and determination, he became very 
])roficient in mathematics. The first public office he 
ever held was deputy shei'ilf of lUith county from lS-10 
to 1S4T. In January, 183S, lie married Miss Charlotte 
Wilson, daughter of John Wilson, of Bath county. At 
the (H'ir^anization of the countv court, on the 20th dav 
of ^fay, 1847, he was elected clerk ; was re-elected in 
1852 by the people, and again in 1858, and continued 
to hold the ofHce until July, 1804. He was also a dele- 
irate to the constitutional convention of 1850-51 from 
the district com])osed of Batii, Ivockln'idge and Au- 
gusta. 

He was an excellent clerk, very methodical in his 
hal)its, and performed the duties of his olhce to the 
entire satisfaction of the courts and of the people. He 
kept the records in perfect order, and never lost or mis- 
laid a paper, although the records had to be removed 
during the war and hid to ]U"event dcsti'uction by the 
federal army. 

MKMoRIAI, <>K CAPTAIN .lACOM ('. MATIIKNV. 

He was born Februarv 2Tth, 1837, in Bath countv (now 
Highland). He was a son of Abijah Matheny ; volun- 
teered asapyivate in Com])any E, Thirty-first Virginia 
regiment of Early's brigade ; was badly wounded at the 
battle of ''McDowell," on tlie 8th of May, 1802; was 
elected ca2:>tain of his comjiany in 1863 ; was wounded 
the second time at the battle of Spottsylvania Court- 



OLD VIKGINIA CI-KKKS. 219 

liouse. May llHli, ISOi; was a brave soldier aii<l <]is- 
tiii2^ui.slied for liis unlliiicliiiig courage in battle. 

In May, 1804, lie was elected to succeed Adam Ste- 
phenson as clerk of lligliland county, but served but 
one year, Avlien, being disqualified from lioldiiii^- the 
office, he retired, but continued to discharge ;ill its 
duties as the deputy of A. J. Jones from 1865 to 1869, 
and for Thomas II. Sloven from 1869 to 1870. when 
he was appointed clerk by the judge of the county 
court ; was elected clerk by the people in May, 1 870, 
and has held the office by popular election from that 
time to the present (1887), and re-elected in May, 1887, 
for aiiother term. lie is a good clerk ; keeps his office 
in beautiful order, taking great pride in it. 



ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY. 



Isle of Wight was one of the eight original sliires 
into which Virginia was divided in 1634. Its name was 
originally WavrosqiiyoaT^e shire, which it retained but 
three years — probably because the name was so hard 
to pronounce. The clerks have been as follows : 

1. Thomas Wombwell, from 1645 to 1656,- 11 years. 

2. Thomas Woodson, from 1656 to 1662, - 6 years. 

3. John Jennings, from 1662 to 1677, - - 15 years. 

4. John Broomiield, from 1677 to 1679, - 2 years. 

5. John Pitt, from 1679 to 1692, - - - . 13 years. 

6. Hugh Davis, from 1692 (died in a month.) 

7. Charles Chapman, from 1692 to 1710, - 18 years. 
V 5^. Henry Lightfoot, from 1710 to 1729, - 19 years. 



220 OLD .VIKGINIA CLEKKS. 

9. Jame8 Ingles, from 1729 to 1732, - - 3 years. 

10. James Baker, from 1732 to 1754,- - - 22 years. 

11. liicliard ]>aker, from 1754 to 1770, - - 16 years. 

12. AVilliam Drew, from 1770 to 1772, - - 2 years. 

13. Xatlianiel Burwell, from 1772 to 1787, - 15 years. 

14. Francis Yonng (1st), from 1787 to 1794, 7 years. 

15. James Yonng, from 1794 to 1800, - - 6 years. 

16. Francis Yonng (2d), from 1800 to 1801, 1 year. 

17. Xatlianiel Yonng, from 1801 to 1841, - 40 years. 

18. Xatlianiel Peyton Yonng (1st), from 1841 

to 1869, ----'------ 28 years. 

19. Charles H. Hart, from 1869 to 1870, - 1 year. 

20. Xatlianiel Peyton Yonng (2d), from 1870 

to 1887, ---------- 17 years. 

5^^ It will be seen that the clei-kship has been held 
by the Young family for a hnndred years — that is, from 

1787 to 1887. 

Francis Yonng (1st) came to Isle of Wight in 1768 
from Brunswick, where he had served as deputy clerk 
with John Pobinson, deputy under Robert TurnbuU, 
ancestor of the present clerk of that county. He took 
charge of the office of Isle of Wight under Bichard 
Baker, and continued in the office as deputy until liis 
death, then for William Drew, and afterwards for Xa- 
tlianiel Burwell, who left the county during the war 
of the Bevolntion and went to the north side of the 
James, (probably to King William. — F. J.) leaving 
Francis Young in charge of the office. lie afterwards 
went into service himself, and when Tarleton made a 
raid upon Smithtield (which was then the county seat) 
in 1781, he was foiled in his intended eifort to burn the 
county records by the wife of Francis Young, who re- 



OLD VIRGINIA CL?:RKS. 221 

moved and buried tliein in a trunl\ which is in tlio 
clerk's office 7iow, having been preserved as a nioiui- 
nient of Mrs. Yonng's patriotism and fortitude. 

Francis Young was succeeded as clerk by his son, 
James, who died in 1780, and was succeeded l)y his 
brother, Francis, who died in December, 1T8U, and was 
succeeeed by his brother, Xathaniel, who died July 24, 
184:1, and was succeeded, in September, 1841, by Na- 
thaniel Peyton Young, the present clerk, who was then 
twenty-iive years and seven months of age, and who 
lias been regularly appointed or elected and held the 
office, without opposition, ever since, save for the shoi-t 
time from May, 1869, to June, 1870, when he v,as re- 
moved by military authority. During that period tlie 
office was nominally filled by Charles H. Hart, a von no- 
man from Southampton county, who was able to take 
the recpiired oath. 

The Womhwell family (first clerk) is still represented 
in the county by the somewhat changed name of 
Womhle. 

Of the AVoodwards there is no trace left, nor of the 
Broomfields nor Ingles. Hugh Davis, William Drew, 
John Pitt and Charles Chapman are represented bv a 
number of worthy and highly esteemed descendants. 
Colonel John Pitt was a man of great influence in his 
day and a large land-owner. He was the neighbor and 
friend of Colonel Joseph Bridger, king's counsel and 
secretary, who died in 1631:, and whose tomb is now to 
be seen intact. 

John Jennings was also a man of wealth and. tradi- 
tionally, one of great influence. 

^Pf Henry Lightfoot there are many lineal descend- 
ants, but none of that name. The last of the name 



222 OI-I) VIRGINIA rl.KRKS. 

was Bartliolomew LigUtfoot, wlio was dejnity clerk 
uiuler IS'athaiiiel Young from 1801 to 1830. Rowland 
I). Buford, late aceoniplished clerk of Bedford circuit 
court, married Lis granddaugliter. 

A MoliV. 1)1:'I"AIM:1> ACCiUNl' OF THE Y()L'N<T FAMILY. 

Ill several uf the counties in Virginia, as well under 
lier colonial as independent organization, the clerksliij) 
has l)een filled hy mendjcrs of one family and name for 
long terms by successive appointments and elections. 
One of the most remai'kablc instances of the occurrence 
is that of the family of Young in Isle of Wight, who 
from grandfather, through three sons, to grandson, the 
present clerk, have filled the office for more than one 
hundred years without a break. Five gentlemen named 
Yovng have filled the ofHce of clerk of courts in Isle 
of Wight county, viz. : Francis 8r., James, Francis, 
Jr., Nathaniel and Xathaniel Peyton Young, the pres- 
ent clerk. 

Francis Young, the first clerk with that name, was 
born in Brunswick county, Virginia, in 1735. lie was 
the issue of ^Michael Young by marriage with Martha 
Saddler. Li early life he entered the office of Bobin 
Tui-nbull, the then clerk of Brunswick county, to whom 
lie was appointed a dejuity clerk. When acting in that 
capacity, Francis Young, Sr., married Elizabeth Ben- 
nett, a descendant of Richard Bennett, colonial gover- 
nor in 1052, and whose mother was Elizabeth Peyton ; 
and their issue were four daughters and five sons. In 
1708 he left the office of R. Turnbull and, with his 
family, came to Isle of Wight, and served as deputy 
clerk under Richard Baker, (the ancestor of the late 
Hon. Richard II. Bakei', whose ermine whilst judge 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKRKS. 223 

of thi8 circuit was unspotted, and wliose professional 
life and moral character were pure and blameless), Wil- 
liam Drew and Is^atlianiel Burwell. N. Burwell was 
appointed the clerk of court of Isle of Wight in 1772. 
When measures were inaugurated by Virginia and 
other British colonies in America which were followed 
by their acknowledged independence of the mother 
country after a bloody but successful war of seven 
years, Nathaniel Burwell did not affiliate with the colo- 
nists in their hostile proceedings, but retained his loy- 
alty to the British crown. Soon after the Declaration 
of Independence he left the county, and, as I learn 
from good authority, never returned to it. There is a 
tradition that, after the treaty of peace with Great 
Britain had been ratified, he did return and, after a 
short stay in the county, he resigned the clerkship, set- 
tled up his ])rivate business and moved to other parts. 
The only memento of Xathaniel Burwell in Isle of 
Wight county is " BurwelFs bay," on which he owned 
a body of land. On its shore the old Indian town 
was located, and, in my youth, it was generally called 
" Warrosquoiake bay." The Burwells, in the direct 
•and collateral lines, by this and other names, are yet 
numerous in Virginia and other States. The late Dr, 
Robert Butler, who died when treasurer of Virmnia, 
married Eliza Bracken, daughter of Rev. John Bracken, 
then president of William and Mary college. Her 
motlier was Eliza Burwell, of Frederick county, Vir- 
ginia. The only issue of Dr. Robert Butler and Eliza 
Bracken who left issue was the late Dr. John Bracken 
Butler, who married Mary A. Benton, of Suffolk, Vir- 
ginia, who, with several children, is now living in 
Brooklyn or ISTew York. 



224 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

From the first removal of Natlianiel Burwell from 
the county, and during the war of Independence, Fran- 
cis Young, Sr., being the senior deputy, remained in 
■cliarge of the office and discliarged the duties of clerk. 
Independent of his faithful and satisfactory perform- 
ance of the official business assigned him as deputy 
-clerk, the successful concealment of the county records 
from the Britisli army when passing through the county 
under Tarleton, in 1781, might be mentioned here as 
full evidence af the j^atriotic foresight and zeal of his 
wife and family. The preservation of the records is 
mainly due to the protective care of his good lady, he, 
at the time, being in the service, as commissary of the 
brigade of General John S. Wills. A detail of the 
facts connected with this memorable performance has 
been inserted elsewhere, and to re])eat them here would 
1)6 superfluous. 

On the death of Francis Young, Sr., in December, 
1794-, he was succeeded, through an election by the 
•county court at the January term of 1795, by James, 
liis oldest son. James Young married Lucy Fearn, and 
their issue were James F., John B., Elizabeth and Sally. 
In parenthesis : James married Lucy Anne, daughter 
•of Rev. Samuel Butler, the last colonial parson of 
South wark parish, Surry county. He was also a gal- 
lant officer (major) in the Yirginia line during tlie 
Revolutionary war of 1770. After the death of Rev. 
AVilliam Ilubard, the last colonial minister in Newport 
parish, the Rev. Major Butler was frecpiently called 
<n\ to perform clerical services in Isle of Wight — mar- 
riages, christenings and burials. At the "ministration 
<)i private baptism of children,'- he officiated for one 
310W living in Smithfield. He was the brother of Dr. 




92.ui^. 




^ 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 225 

Ro. l>utler, late treasurer of A^irginia, and of John 
Butler, the father of the venerable William F. Butler, 
a highly esteemed resident of Staunton. James and 
Lucy Anne Young {ide Butler) left no issue. James 
Young, the clerk, died in January, 1800, and was suc- 
ceeded in t]ie clerkship hy his brother Francis (2d), 
through an election of tlie county court in the month 
of July, 1800. 

The official life of Francis ^^)ung (2d) was of short 
duration ; a7id ]iis biography, in some respects, is re- 
markal)le. He had formed a matrimonial engagement 
with Sally Xelson, a number of years before, which 
was not consummated until a sliort time l)efore his 
election as clerk. Tliis alliance existed only a few 
months, he having died in December, 1800, holdino- 
the office only five months, and leaving no issue, but a 
widow, who subsequently married James Atkinson, 
father of the late Hon. Archer Atkinson. He was 
succeeded by his youngest brother, Xathaniel Young, 
the father of X. P. Young, the present clerk of botli 
the county and circuit courts of Isle of \Vight. 

Nathaniel Young was born in Isle of Wight in 1778. 
He was elected the clerk of that county in January, 
1801. In connection with his election a curious co- 
incidence may be mentioned. When the magistrates 
met at the January court of 1801, the business of pri- 
mary importance was the election of a clerk. The 
court being opened in due form, the question of elec- 
tion was taken up. There were two candidates for the 
office— Nathaniel Young, a deputy of his deceased 
brother Francis, and Thomas Godwin, who had served 
as deputy in the clerk's office of Norfolk county. The 
court proceeded to ballot, and more than one resulted 



22() OI.I) VIiailMA (I.KKKS. 

in an ecjual iiuuiber fur eaeli candidate. At that time 
George Purdic was an old Scotcli niercliant of Smitli- 
iield, and a iustice of tlie county, wliose iniirinities 
from age prevented liim from attending tlie court. In 
ordei- to ln'cak tlie tie (so-called (Lead-loek\ an urgent 
request was sent to Mr, Purdie to come Xo the court- 
house and decide tlie nuitter. He complied, and after 
taking a seat on the bench, was informed as to the state 
of the case. Then Mr. Purdie addressed the candidate, 
saying : '' Xat Young, I have known your family long 
and well. ^ Our mother is old and too infirm to care 
for lierself. ff you will pledge me that, so long as you 
live, she shall suffer no want for attention, care and the 
necessaries of life, I will give my vote in your favor." 
Tlie pledge was made, and Kathaniel Young was 
<jlected, and by successive elections filled the office of 
clerk until his death in July, 1S41. The strange co- 
incidence is that, in 1814, Nathaniel young married a 
granddaughter of the said George Purdie, and the first 
child from that marriage was Kathaniel Peyton Young, 
the }>resent clerk of the courts of Isle of Wight. 

The first wife of Kathaniel Young was Sally, a 
daughter of Kali)h West, of Oystershell Keck, in this 
county. Their children were the late Dr. Pobert West 
Young, for some time in the United States state de- 
partment when ]\[r. Marcy was secretary of state, and 
Sarah Virginia. Pennett, Avho married the late Dr. 
Pobert M. l^oykin, a bi'other of the late General Francis 
M. Boykin, who represented this county and district, 
as delegate and senator ad llh it um, SLud who died in 
Piclimond during the war for secession. The second 
marriage of Kathaniel Young Avas with Mary Robin- 
son Purdie, the oldest child of the late l^i*. John 11. 



OLD VIKGKMA CLERKS. 227 

Piirdie and Anne Moore, of York county, and a sister 
of Dr. John 11. Piirdio, now the oklest living native 
resident of Sniitlilield. 

N. P. Young, the present clerk, was born on the lOth 
day of June, 1810, in Smithfield, and, by election of 
tlie county court, succeeded his father in 1841. On 
June 15th, 1843, he married Sarah Virginia Carroll, a 
daughter of the late Gray Carroll, Esq., who was the 
father of Gray Carroll, yet a resident of Fauquier 
county, and late professor of mathematics in the col- 
lege at Placksburg. K. P. Young survives his only 
wife, wlio was the mother of three daughters, now 
living with liiuL With the exception of himself, his 
daughters and two grandchildren, the only descendant 
of his grandfather, the first Francis Young, who is a 
resident of this county with the name of Young^ is 
Xathaniel Francis Young, son of his half-brother. Dr. 
P. W. Young and Ann Webb, of Portsmouth, Virginia. 
His two grandchildren alluded to above are the issue 
of the said X. F. Young by marriage with Anne Eob- 
inson, the youngest daughter of X. P. Young. There 
are two living sons of Dr. P. W. Young, one in 
AVashington city and one in Xew Orleans, each of 
wliom is married. A dauo^hter of Dr. P. W. Yount' 
nuirried a gentleman in France, and is now living iu 
that country. 

J. P. PlHOIPL 



228 (HJ) VIR(;JNIA CLEKKS. 

JAMES CITY COUNTY. 



James City was one of tlie eight oi'iginal sliires into 
which the colony of Virginia was divided in 1634, and 
has associations connected witli it of a very peculiar 
character — more so, perhaps, than any other in the State 
of Virginia. Williamsburg, which is the county seat, 
was, at a very early period, the seat (►f a district court, 
and was also the capital of the State from the year 1698 
to 1779, when the pnhlie records were removed to Hich- 
mond, which from that time became the capitolof Vir- 
i^inia. The court records were removed to the same 
place the iirst year of the late war to protect them from 
the federal troops ; but it was only going '' from the 
frying-pan into the iire,'' for they were all destroyed in 
the great fire in Richmond at the evacuation in 1805, 
as the writer learned, greatly to his disappointment, on 
going to Winiamsl)nrg in August, 1887, where he ex- 
pected to obtain important and valiiaVjle information 
about the old derl'-^. The following meagre list is all 
that could be procured, which rested on the memory of 
some of the old inhabitants, going no farther back than 
the year 1831 : 

1. Leonard Henley, was clerk of both courts 

prior to 1831. 

2. Thomas O. Cogbill, from 1831 to 1858, 27 vears. 

3. John A. Henley, from 1858 to 1801, - 3 years. 

4. Nathaniel Piggott, (military appointee), 

to 1870, 5 years. 

5. William II. E. Morecock, from 1870 to* 

1887, ----------- 17 years. 

0. Kichard A. Wise, elected in May, 1887 for six years. 



<)M> ViKCrlNIA ( I.KKKS. 22i> 

JEFFERSON COUNTY. 

(west VIRGINIA NOW.) 



Jefferson was formed in 1801 from Berkeley. The 
original plan of the present volume was to confine it 
to clerks of the State of Virginia before its dismem- 
berment in 18G5 ; but as more than half of the service 
of the present clerk of Jefferson county, running throngh 
more than forty years, was w^ithin old Virginia, an ex- 
ception has been made in his favor as an " Old Vir- 
ginia clerk." The following autobiography of Mr. 
Moore has been furnished by himself at my request : 

Charlestown^, Jefferson County, West Va., ) 

Ajyril 11, 1887. f 

I came to this county in April, 1824, from Leesburg, 
Loudoun county, where I lived seven years, having 
been born in Fairfax connty January 29th, 1803. I 
practiced law in Jefferson and neighboring counties 
until September, 1830, when I went into the clerk's 
office of the connty court as deputy clerk, in which 
capacity I served until October, 1810, when the clerk 
died, and the justices elected me clerk in December, 
1810, for the term of seven years. There were thirty- 
two justices in the county ; thirty were present at the 
election, twenty-four of whom voted for me, and only 
one of them is now living — A. R. Boteler — who has 
an office in Washington. The justices continued to 
elect me as clerk until 1852, when the election of county 
officers was given to the people, and I was elected after 
a hard fight. The people have continued to elect me 
at every election since — the last time in the fall of 1884 
for the term of six years from January 1, 1885 — and 



230 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

I am still at work in the office at the age of eighty- 
four. The justices elected me three times, and the 
people five times. 

In JSTovember, 1862, after repeated efforts, I suc- 
ceeded in getting the court to remove the public records, 
and went with them to Lexington, E-ockbridge county, 
where they remained until the war was ended in 1865, 
when they were brought back. 

In October, 1863, General Imbuden came to Charles- 
town and captured the federal garrison, and had to fight 
his way out, as a force frojn Harper's Ferry had taken 
possession of the town and carried off or destroyed 
everything that was left in both clerks' offices. From 
August, 1865, to the end of 18T2 I served as deputy 
clerk in both offices in Clarke county, Virginia. After 
the county court in AYest Virginia was restored, dele- 
gates met in a convention to nominate county ofiicers — 
the first time they ever had been nominated in the 
county. The delegates traded off the old clerks, but 
the people rose up and declared that they would have 
the old clerks ; and at the August election I beat the 
nominee of the convention by nearly four hundred 
votes. I have had no trouble since, having been elected 
by the people in 1878 and 1881- without opposition. 

|^W° A memorandum from another hand, accompa- 
nying the above, states that Mr. Moore was clerk of 
the court at the arraignment and trial of John Brown ^ 
and that, while an original Union man and opjiosed to 
secession, he sided with Virginia after she seceded, and 
aided the rebellion so far as he could. 



oi;l) vikginia clerks. 231 



KING AND QUEEN COUNTY. 



King and Queen was formed in 1720 from Richmond 
county. Its records liaving been more tlian once de- 
stroyed by fire, nothing can be gathered from those of 
the early clerks of this county ; and nearly all of the 
older inhabitants have passed away, leaving almost noth- 
ing to be gleaned from tradition. Even their names 
seem not to have been preserved with any certainty. 
The first of wlioin any reliable information can be ob- 
tained, was : 

1. Tnnstall, who lived about ten miles 

from tlie county seat, conducting the 
business of the office chiefly through 
his deputy. 

2. Ttobert Pollard, who succeeded Mr. Tun- 

stall as clerk, about the 3^ear 1800, and 
served as clerk until his death in 1835 

— making 35 years. 

1^^ He was a man of uncommon in- 
telligence, the strictest integrity, and 
perhaps as skillful and faithful a clerk 
as any in the State. 

3. Kobert Pollard, Jr., was clerk from 1835 

to 1876, - - 41 years. 

4. B. F. Taylor, (present incumbent), from 

1876 to 1887, -------- 11 years. 

Since the foregoing memorandum was made from 
information gathered from various sources, the follow- 
ing letter has been received from Dr. B. H. Walker, of 
Stevensville, King and Queen, which is deemed well 



2S2 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

worthy of jjublication as an interesting historical picture 
of the Pollards and other clerks of King and Queen : 
" Tlie i']i'A'k who preceded Robert Pollard, Sr., 
wa.s named Tunstall — his first name I cannot ascer- 
tain, as our clerk's office lias been twice burned, and 
all the early records were lost. Mr. Tunstall never 
lived at the courthouse, but some ten or twelve miles 
away, and kept the county records at liis house. On 
-court days, which was the second Monday, he carried 
them to tlio courthouse with him in his old stick gig. 
•He was a man of the world, fond of his glass and gaiety ; 
and, when building his dwelling, had his ]3arlor (draw- 
ing-room as it was then called) made large, so as to 
afford ample room for dancing and other amusements, 
and at the same time to accommodate other guests. His 
residence is still standing, and the unusually large par- 
lor looks odd at the present day. About 1705, or per- 
haps later, he engaged Mr. Robert Pollard, Sr., (who 
was my mother's uncle), as his deputy, at a salary of 
^ixty dollars a yeai^ and gave up the whole business to 
him, while he spent his whole time in social pleasures. 
After his death Robert Pollai'd, Sr., succeeded him as 
clerk, and held the position for thirty-five years. Some 
years before his death he resigned the office of clerk 
of the circuit court in favor of his nephew, William 
Todd, who held it for ten or fifteen years, and then re- 
signed in favor of his cousin, Robert Pollard, Jr. The 
very small salary received by Robert Pollard, Sr., when 
he came to the county as deputy clerk, seems most as- 
tonishing to lis of the present day ; but at that time 
the habits of the pcoi)le were very simple, their wants 
few, and the demand for money much less than in our 
day. I will just say here, that Elder AVilliam Todd 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 23S 

was preaching for some years before lie resigned the 
position of clerk, and continued to preach for fifty-one 
or fifty-two years. lie had charge of four Baptist 
churches, and said to me upon one occasion, " I have 
been preaching to these churches for almost fifty years, 
and I don't think if all they have paid me were added 
up it would be enough to buy me a broadcloth suit.'^ 
He did not say this coinplainingly, for that was the 
general custom of the day, especially among the Bap- 
tist churches, largely owing to the prejudice against the 
Episcopal ministers, w^ho w^ere paid by the colonial gov- 
ernment, and frequently against the wishes and the 
protests of the people. 

Robert Pollard, Sr., was a man of very great care- 
fulness and the strictest integrity ; and any crookedness 
on the part of those coming in contact with him would 
be apt to get his reproof. My father used to relate this 
circumstance : He was in the clerk's office one day, 
while Mr. Pollard was recording the proceedings in a 
suit about a disputed line between two neighbors who 
had become very much excited and angry with each 
other, and had been engaged in n long and expensive 
litigation about a small piece of land. " See," said Mr. 
Pollard, " what men will do when they get mad with 
each other. Here are two men who have been w^orry- 
ing the court ; occupying much valuable time, and 
spending money that they cannot well spare, contend- 
ing for a piece of land that can be almost covered by 
this sheet of paper." Pie was too candid to be very 
popular Avith the masses, but all held him in the high- 
est respect. Before coming to King and Queen, Wil- 
liam Todd had apprenticed himself (that was a common 
custom of the day) to his uncle, William Pollard, of 



234 



OLD VIRGINIA CLP:RKS. 



Hanover, but, at the earnest solicitation of his uncle, 
Robert Pollard,- Sr., he came to assist him as his deputy, 
he liaving become old and somewhat disabled, and his 
son, 11. Pollard, Jr., not being old enough to assume 
the duties of the olhce. To show the exactness of the 
Pollards of that day, it may be stated that his uncle, 
William, (who was known as " Billy Particular,") re- 
quired him to pay him for the balance of the time for 
which he was bound to him. 

Robert Pollard, Jr., who succeeded his father, was a 
man of eccentric habits ; very rarely left home, and was 
scarcely a day absent from his office. He would hardly 
notice even an intimate friend when engaged in busi- 
ness ; had an impediment in his speech, which made it 
difficult for him to be understood. A gentleman said 
to me once : " When I am sworn as a witness by Mr. 
Pollard, I never understand a woi'd he says, but, being 
confident that he is only saying what is necessary, when 
he gets through I lass the hook !'*''• 





OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 235 

KING GEORGE COUNTY. 



, King George was formed in 1720 from Kiclimond 
county. The clerks have been : 

1. Edward Tiirberville, from 1721 to 1723, 2 years. 

^% Thomas Turner, from 1723 to 1742, - 19 years. 
^3. Harry Turner (grandson of Thomas), from 

1742 to 1752, 10 years. 

4. Kobert Armistead, from 1752 to 1761, - 9 years. 

5. Joseph Eobinson, from 1761 to 1788, - 27 years. 

6. Lawrence Berry, from 1788 to 1822, - - 34 years. 

t^'" The records show that he was an 
accomplished clerk. 

7. John W. Smith, from. 1822 to 1831, - - 9 years. 

8. John G. Stewart, from 1831 to 1834, - 3 years. 

9. Edward Smith, from 1834 to 1838, - - 4 years. 

10. S. J. S. Brown, from 1838 to 1845, - - 7 years. 

t^^He-^Tas deputy for many years 
under Lawrence Berry, and was con- 
sidered a most accomplished clerk. 

11. William S. Brown, (son of S. J. S.), from 

1845 to 1887, -------- 42 years. 

t^^ Including live years of service as deputy clerk, 
he has been continuously in the same office for forty- 
seven years, but was defeated in May, 1887, by politi- 
cal management. 




23fi OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



KING WILLIAM COUNTY. 



King "William was formed in 1701 from King and 
^ueen. It has had a long line of excellent clerks ; but 
owing to the destruction of the clerk's office by fire a 
few years ago, the names and dates of service prior to 
1797 cannot now be obtained. Since that period the 
•clerks have been : 

1. Eobert Pollard, from 1797 to 1818, - - 21 years. 

2. Robert Pollard, Jr., (commonly called 

Pobin, writing his name Ito :), from 

181S to 1842, -------- 21 years. 

3. Ptobert Byrd Pollard, from 1812 to 1852, 10 years. 

4. James Otway Pollard, from 1852 to 1865, 13 years. 

When he was removed by military au- 
thority. 

5. William Dandridge Pollard, from 1867 

to 1872, 5 years. 

6. O. M. Winston, from 1872 to 1887, - - 15 years. 

5^^ The Pollard family seem to have held the clerk- 
ship in King AVilliam for five generations, as they did 
in King and Queen and Hanover for a long time. 
Three Robert Pollards held the office cotemporaneouslj 
for a number of years in the counties of King William, 
King and Queen and Hanover, and all admirable clerks. 




^iia^i^^*^ 



Robert Pollard, Jr., (Rol)in),'^vas quite celebrated aa 
the greatest fox-hunter of his day, always keeping a 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKvS. 237 

pack of hounds of the purest breed, (he would have no 
other), and using an immense horn, imported from 
England, with a silver mouth-piece, and a hunting-coat 
with silver buttons made of twenty-five-cent pieces. 
He would often jocularly say that he attributed his 
fondness for fox-hunting to the fact that he was born 
about the "crack of day" on tlie 1st day of January, 
1783, and was always in the saddle at that hour. lie 
might have justly claimed to be the Xestor of the chase 

of that dav. 

ii 

Eobert Eyrd Pollard, wlio was clerk from 1842 to 
1852, was very popular, and could no doubt have been 
elected in 1852, when the new constitution went into 
operation making clerks eligible by the people ; but he 
declined to offer as a candidate, saying that he would 
not hold the office in that wav. 



^^^Wr-^^^. 




*2H^ OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

LANCASTER COUNTY. 



Lancaster was formed in 1652. The clerks liave been : 

1. John Philhps, from 1652 to , years. 

2. Yincent Stanford, from to , years. 

3. T. Edward Dale, from 1655 to 1674, - 19 years. 

4. Jolham Stretchley, from 1674 to 1696, - 22 years. 

5. Joseph Tayloe, from 1696 to 1716, - - 20 years. 

6. William Dare, from 1716 to 1720, - - 4 years. 

7. Thomas Edwards, from 1720 to 1746, - 26 years. 

8. Thomas Edwards, Jr., from 1746 to 1770, 24 years. 

9. Thomas B. Griffin, from 1770 to 1777, - 7 years. 

10. Thomas B. Griffin and Thomas Shearman, 

from 1777 to 1778, .--.-- 1 year. 

11. Thadeus McCarty, from 1778 to 1787, - 9 years. 

12. James Gordon, from 1787 to 1794, - - 7 years. 

13. Henry Towles, from 1794 to 1799, - - 5 years. 

14. James Towles, from 1799 to 1820, - - 21 years. 

15. Benjamin M. AValker, from 1820 to 1838, 18 years. 

16. Eobert T. Dunaway, from 1838 to 1851, 13 years. 

17. Cyrus Doggett, from 1851 to 1856, - - 5 years. 

18. Warner Eubank, from 1856 to 1869, - 13 years. 

19. William Boyd (military appointee), from 

1869 to 1870, 1 year. 

20. AVarner Eubank, from 1870 to 1884, - 14 years. 

21. A. A. Moody, from 1884 to 1887, - - 3 years. 

22. Samuel P. Gresham, elected in May, 1887. 

They all held both offices. 
I^^In the 'year 1762 James Waddell, the blind 
preachei", was settled over the Presbyterian churches of 
Lancaster and Northumberland. In the latter part of 
his time here his residence was on Curratoman river. 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 2H\> 

LEE COUNTY. 



Lee was formed in 1792 from Russell and Washing- 
ton. The clerks have been : 

1. Charles Carter, from 1792 to 1824, - - 32 years. 

2. Alexander W. Wills, from 1824 to 1838, 14 years. 

3. J. W. S. Morrison, from 1838 to 1858, 20 years. 

4. Henry J. Morgan, from 1858 to 1869, - 11 years. 

5. S. E. Thompson, (military appointee), from 

1869 to 1870, 1 year. 

6. John B. West, from 1870 to 1871, - - 1 year. 

7. James W. Orr, from 1871 to 1881, - - 10 years. 

8. John E. Gibson, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 

And re-elected May 26th, 1887. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY. 



Loudoun was formed from Fairfax in 1756. Lu 
" Harris' Historical Collections of Virginia," page 354, 
we find the follow^ing in regard to Loudoun county^ 
which is thought to be of sufficient interest to be em- 
bodied in this volume : 

" A very considerable contrast is observable in the 
manners of the inhabitants in the different sections of 
the county. That part lying northwest of Waterford 
was originally settled by Germans, and was called the 
* German settlement.' The middle of the county 
southwest of Waterford, and west of Leesburg, was 
mostly settled by emigrants from the Middle States, 
many of whom were Friends, (or Quakers), who had 



240 OLD VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 

suffered mucli persecution at an early day, severe laws 
having been passed against tliein in the early history of 
Virginia. In the Kevohition, their non-conformity to 
the military laws, from conscientious motives, brought 
them into difficulty very often, as will be seen from the 
annexed extract from Kercheval : ' At tlie bet^^inninor 
of the war, attempts were made to compel them to bear 
arms, but it was soon found to be unavailing, as they 
would not perform any military duty required of tliem ; 
not even the scourge would compel tiiem to submit to 
military discipline. Coercion was, therefore, abandoned, 
and the legislature enacted a law levying a tax upon 
their property to hire substitutes U) perform militia 
duty. This, witli other taxes, bore peculiarly heavy 
upon them ; their personal property was sold under the 
hammer to raise tliese public demands ; and, before the 
war was over, many of tliem were reduced to great dis- 
tress in their pecuniary circumstances. This selling of 
Quakers' proi)erty afforded opportunity for designing 
individuals to make profitable speculations, as they con- 
tinued to refuse to pay taxes after the war, holding it 
unlawful to contribute tlieir money towards discharg- 
ing the war del;t.'" 

Loudoun has had only seven clerks in one hun<lred 
and thirty years, and all notable as such : 
Of the County Court. 

1. Charles Binns, from 1756 to 1706, - - 40 years. 

2. Charles Binns, (his son),from 1796 to 1837, 41 years. 

3. Charles G. Eskridge, from 1837 to 1851, 14 years. 

4. Presley Saunders, from 1851 to 1857, - 6 years. 

5. George K. Fox, Jr., from 1857 to 1865, 8 years. 

6. Charles P. Janney, from 1865 to 1871, - 6 years. 

7. George K. Fox, jr., from 1871 to 1873, 2 years. 



iJlJb VIRGINIA CLEIJKS. 241 

8. Edgar Littleton, from 1878 to 1887, - - 14 years. 
Re-elected in Maj, 1887, for six years. 
Of the Circuit Court. 

1. William A. Powell, from 1832 to 1841, 9 years. 

2. Thomas P. Knox, from 1841 to 1857, - 16 years. 

3. James Sinclair, from 1857 to 1865, - - 12 years. 

4. A. J. Bradfield, from 1865 to 1871, - - 6 years. 

5. William IST. Wise, from 1871 to 1875, - 4 years. 
0. William E. Garrett, from 1875 to 1887, 12 years. 
7. E. L. Bennett, (present clerk, elected in May, 188^^. 



LOUISA COUNTY 



Louisa was formed from Hanover in 1742. Tlie 
clerks liave been : 

1. James Littlepage, from 1742 to 1760, - 18 years. 

2. John Xelson, from 1760 to 1772, - - - 12 years. 

3. Jolm Poindexter, from 1772 to 1792, - 20 years. 

4. ]S'icholasJ.Poindexter,froml792tol812, 20 years. 

5. John Hunter, from 1812 to 1852, - - 40 years. 

6. David W. Hunter, from 1852 to 1865, - 13 years. 
1. John C. Cammack, from 1865 to 1870, - 5 years. 
8. Samuel H. Parsons, from 1870 to 1875, 

(county court), and from 1875 to 1887, 

(circuit court), --------17 years. 

0. Jesse J. Porter, (county court), from 1875 

to 1887, ---------- 12 years. 





242 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



LUNENBURG COUNTY. 



Lunenburg was formed in 1746 from Brunswick. 
The clerks have been : 

1. Clement Read, from 1746 to 1763, - - 17 jears. 

2. William Taylor, from 1763 to 1814, - - 51 years. 

3. William 11. Taylor, from 1814 to 1846, 32 years. 

4. William W. Webb, from 1846 to 1858, 12 years. 

5. William P. Austin, from 1858 to 1869, 11 years. 

6. Henry E. Boswell, from 1870 to 1878, 

(died), ------ 8 years. 

7. W. W. 'We\)b,(jjrote7n..)yh'om February, 

1878 to June, 1878, ----- 4 mos. 

8. John L. Yates, from 1878 to 1887, - - 9 years. 
And re-elected in May, 1887, for a term of six years. 

t^^ The following is a copy of the order of court 
when the first clerk <[iialified : " Clement Read, Gen- 
tleman, produced a commission from Thomas Kelson, 
Esq., (secretary, &c.), dated at Williamsburg the XX 
day of April, in the XIX year of the Reign of our 
Sovereign Lord, King George the second, by the Grace 
of God, King, &c., to be Clerk of tlie Court of Lunen- 
burg, which was presented and read. And the said 
Clement Read liaving first taken the oath appointed by 
Parliament to be taken, instead of the oath of allegi- 
ance and supremacy, the oath appointed to be taken 
by an act oi Parliament made on the first year of the 
reign of his late Majesty King George the 1st, as also 
the seal, together with the oath of clerk, was admitted 
and took his place at the clerk's table accordingly." 



OLD VIRGINIA CLPHiKS. 243 

MADISON COUNTY. 



Madison was formed from Cnlpeper, by an act of 
assembly passed in 17l>2. The first court was held on 
the 23d of May, 1793. The clerks have been: 

1. John Walker, Jr., from 1793 to 1808, - 15 years. 

1^^^ Judging from the records, a very 
efficient clerk. 

2. Benjamin Cave, from 1808 to 1821, - - 13 years. 

I^^The records bear evidence of a 
faithful performance of duty. 

3. Belfield Cave, from 1821 to 1858, - - 37 years. 

l^P^ He voluntarily retired, after 
thirty-seven years' service, from the 
office which he could have retained 
longer if he had desired to do so. 
Through this long period he was ever 
at his post, and was ever held in the 
highest esteem as a courteous and faith- 
^ful public officer, carrying with him in 
retirement, and through his life of 
ninety years, the veneration and respect 
that ever attaches to duty well done. 

4. Francis H. Hill, from 1858 to 1875, - - 17 years. 

1^" An efficient and faithful officer ; 
commenced the practice of law in July, 
1875, and is at present a member of 
the law firm of Hill and Jeffries. For 
two years grand master of the Masonic 
fraternity of Virginia. 

5. Reuben S. Thomas, from 1875 to 1887, - 12 years. 
When he died. ^^ He was constable and sheriff of 



24^4: OLD VIRGINIA OLKKKS. 

the county before his election as clerk, and was always 
faithful in the performance of any trust confided to 
him. 



MATTHEWS COUNTY. 



Matthews was formed in 1791 from Gloucester. The 
clerks have been : 

1. Armistead Smith, from 1791 to 1792, - 1 year. 

2. John Carey, from 1792 to 1795, - - - 3 years. 

3. John Patterson, from 1795 to 1818, - - 23 years. 

4. Thomas R. Yeatman,from 1818 to 1832, 14 years. 

5. Shepard G. Miller, from 1832 to 1863, - 36 years. 

1^" lie faithfully discharged the du- 
ties of his office for thirty-six years, and 
was highly esteemed both as a clerk and 
a citizen. 

6. John E. Kinnan, appointed l)y General 

J. M. Schofield, who farmed the office 
to George S. Miller and AVilliam II. 
Brown, from 1868 to 1870, - - - - 2 years. 

7. George S. Miller, from 1870 to 1886, - 16 years. 
8 Sands Smith, from 18S6 to 1887, - - - 1 year. 




OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 245 



MECKLENBURG COUNTY. 



Mecklenburg was formed in 1TG4 from Lunenburg. 
The following is a list of the clerks, wqth the periods of 
service and a brief note connected with each one, fur- 
nished by the present clerk : 

1. John Tabb, from 1Y65 to 1775, - - - 10 years. 
^^^Ilis books seem to have been well 
kept ; his penmanship very legible, and 
every record-book made by him is in an 
excellent state of preservation. 
^% John Brown, from 1775 to 1795, - - - 20 years. 
1^^ From the records left in the office, 
he was a good clerk, and everything 
kept in good order. 

3. W. Baskerville, from 1795 to 1814, - - 15 years. 

1^" He gave general satisfaction to 
the public, and kept the records neatly 
and legibly. 

4. Edward L. Tabb, from 1814 to 1831, - 17 years. 

1^" He made a reputation as a first- 
rate clerk ; his records are neatly and 
properly kept. 

5. John G. Baptist, from 1831 to 1837, - 6 years, 

t^^ He was a good officer and strictly 
attentive to his duties. Durino« his 
term he had a deputy whose writing is 
a marvel of penmanship. 

6. Kichard B. Baptist, from 1837 to 1858, 21 years. 
He gave general satisfaction as 



246 OLD VIIKUNIA CLERKS. 

clerk. After his retirement from office 
he entered npon the practice of the law, 
in which he was very successful. His 
death was a tragic one, and occurred in 
the court-room. Just after he had be- 
gun his argument in a cause before the 
court, he sunk down and expired in a 
moment. 

7. R. F. Clack, from 1858 to 1869, - - - 11 years. 

1^^ He was noted as the neatest and 
most careful of clerks, his motto be- 
ing " a place for everything, aud every- 
thing in its place.'' His penmanship 
was smooth and even, his papers and 
records well kept, showing that he was 
master of the duties of his office. Af- 
ter his removal b}' military authority, 
in April, 1869, he continued to dis- 
chari^re the duties of the office 

8. As deputy of George A. Endley^ military 

appointee, who held the office till April, 
1870. 

9. W. T. Atkins, from 1870 to 1871, - - 1 year, 

1^;^^ He made an excellent officer, and 
is now a prominent and successful 
lawyer. 
10. 11. P. ilughes, from 1871 to 18S2, - - 11 years. 
1^^ He was very popular as a clerk, 
winning over his enemies by his urbane 
manners. He resigned the clerkship 
to accept the appointment of United 
States marshal for the Eastern district 
of Virginia. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 247 

11. J. M. Sloan, from 1882 to 1887, - - - 5 years. 
I^^ Captain Sloan was born in Ash- 
land county, Ohio, and came to Meck- 
lenburg county after the war. He was 
elected sheriff of the county after living 
here a few years, but declined to qualify. 
At a subsequent election he was again 
elected and qu ah tied, holding the office 
for five years, when he was elected 
clerk of the county court in 1882. He 
has given general satisfaction in both 
offices, and is a candidate for re-election 
in May, 1887. J^^Beaten by W. A. 
Jamerson, who is the present clerk. 

The clerks of the circuit court have been : 

1. J. J. Daly, from 1872 to 1875, - - - 3 years. 

2. W. C. Curtis, from 1875 to 1887, - - 12 years. 

t^" Having served his first terra, from 1875 to 1881, 
he was re-elected for a second term without opposition, 
and is now a candidate for re-election without opposi- 
tion. This speaks well for the manner in which he has 
discharged the duties of his office and the estimate in 
which he is held as a clerk. He is a native of Meck- 
lenburg; was second-lieutenant in company E, Four- 
teenth Virginia regiment, and lost an arm at Gettys- 
burg. I^^He was re-elected in May, 1887. 



.-^^ /j:-<b. -^^-^ 



^48 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 



Middlesex was formed in 1673 from Lancaster. The 
clerks have been : 

1. John Lindsey resigns on account of ill- 

liealth, and Joseph Cliinn is appointed 
clerk February 3d, 1673, as appears 
from the first record in order-book, 
from 1673 to 1675, - - 2 years. 

2. James Blackmore, Jr., from 1675 to 1676, 1 year. 
-3. Christopher Robinson, from 1676 to 1694, 18 years. 

4. Edwin Thacker, from 1694 to 1704, - - 10 years. 



5. William Stanard, from 1704 to 1732, 



6. Grey Skipwith, from 1732 to 1740, - 

7. Thomas Price, from 1740 to 1762, - 

8. Robert Elliott, from 1762 to 1767, - 

9. D. Ker, from 1767 to 1772, - - - 

10. William Clmrchhill, from 1772 to 1799, 

11. O. Cosby, from 1799 to 1806, - - - • 

12. Thomas'^Muse, from 1806 to 1811, - 

13. George Ilealy, from 1811 to 183 7, - 

14. Richard M. Segar, from 1837 to 1838, 

15. George R. Ilealy, from 1838 to 1841, 

16. John S. Ilealy, from 1841 to 1846, - 

17. Robert N. Trice, from 1846 to 1852, 

18. P. T. Woodward, from 1852 to 1887, 

1^^ In 1869, when Virginia was " Military District 
No. 1," the last named clerk was removed, as they were 
all over the State ; but an excellent man from Peim- 
eylvania, William C. Conrad, who could take the oath, 
was appointed, lie appeared in court, qualitied, and 



- 28 years. 

- 8 years. 

- 22 years. 
-' 5 years. 

- 5 years. 
27 years. 

- 7 years. 

- 5 years. 

- 26 years. 

- 1 year. 

- 3 3'ears. 

- 5 years. 

- 6 years. 

- 35 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 24^ 

was not in the ofJice again for a whole year, having left 
the whole business in charge of the late clerk, and 
would not receive any compensation whatever. This 
is an instance of disinterestedness that is not often met 
with, and is the more worthy of notice from the fact 
that it occurred at a time when the most of those who 
came among us from the isorth seemed to come for 
the sole purpose of making all they could out of our 
people ; and so we say. all honor to Mr. Conrad ! 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 



Montgomery was formed in 1776 from FincastU 
county, which was formed in 1772 from Botetourt and 
extinguished in 1776 by the formation of Montgomery, 
Washington and Kentucky counties. The clerks have 
been : 

1. James Byrd, from 1776 to 1777, - - - 1 year. 

2. Otway Byrd, from 1777 to 1778, - - - 1 year. 
-3. James McCorkle, from 1778 to 1785, - 7 years. 

4. Abram Trigg, from 1785 to 1792, - - 7 years. 

5. Charles Taylor, from 1792 to 1831, - - 39 years. 

6. Eice D. Montague, from 1831 to 1858, - 27 years. 

t^^He had been in the office as deputy 
for ten years, and was therefore well 
trained before he became clerk. He 
was born in Cumberland county, Vir- 
ginia, October 16th, 1801, and was a 
man of unusual intelligence, and of 
skill and fidelity in the performance 



2o0 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

of all the duties of his office ; careful 
and systematic in all his habits, and 
taking great pride in having everything 
done in the best way ; genial and pleas- 
ant in social life, and universally re- 
spected and confided in as an upright 
and honorable man. 

7. James M. Wade, from 1858 to 1873, - 15 years. 

8. John Ji. Johnson, from 1873 to 1880, - 7 years. 

9. John C. Wade, (county court,) from 1881 

to 1887, G years. 

10. Charles I. Wade, (circuit, court), from 

1881 to 1887, 6 years. 



NANSEMOND COUNTY. 



J^ansemond was in existence as a county as early as 
1645-6, though not exactly by that name, but Nansir 
mum^ to which it was changed from Upper Norfolk 
by act of assembly passed in 1645-6. See Henning's 
Statutes at Large, volume 1, page 323. It appears as 
Nanzemund in 1674, wdien an act was pessed defining 
its boundaries, and Nansemoiid in 1705, when an act 
was passed defining the dividing line between it and 
Isle of Wight and Surry. 

I have been unable to procure a list of the first clerks 
of Nansemond, the records having been destroyed more 
than once. Dr. John II. Purdie, living at Sinithfield, 
Isle of Wight, (now in the seventy-eighth year of his 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 251 

age), has given nie liis recollection of the clerks since 
1815, as follows : 

1. John C. Littlepage, from 1815 to 1880, 15 yeara. 

t^^His life appears to have been 
somewhat unique. He resided in the 
county of Fauquier or Loudoun, but 
held the office of clerk of Kansemond 
for a number of years. He was a 
brother of one of the name who was 
somewhat distinguished at the court of 
St. Petersburg in the reign of Catha- 
rine II., and was supposed to be one 
of her specioyl favorites. 

2. John P. Kilby was clerk from 1830 to 

about 18i5, 15 years. 

3. Peter B. Prentis, from about 1845 to 

1887, -------.-... 42 years. 

And re-elected in May, 18S7, for another term. 



NELSON COUNTY 



Nelson was formed from Amherst by an act of the 
general assembly passed the 25th day of Decemher^ 
1807. This fact may surprise modern legislators who, 
nowadays, take a recess of from one to two weeks be- 
fore and after Christmas. The clerks have been : 
Of the Cov/nty Court. 

1. Spotswood Garland, from 1808 to 1850, 42 years. 

2. S. H. Loving, {pro tem.\ from Septem- 

ber, 1850, to ISTovember, 1850, - - - 2 mos. 



"252 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

3. Thomas J. Massie, from 18oU to 1858, - 8 yes.ra. 

I^^IIe was a grandson of James 
Steptoe, clerk of Bedford. 

4. 8. H. Loving, from 1858 to 1865, seven 

years under the old government, and 
under the Pierpont government from 
1865 to 1869, four years — making - 11 years. 

5. William P. Brintoii, (under the military 

government), from 1869 to 1870, - - 1 year. 

6. S. il. Loving, from 1870 to 1871, - - 1 year. 

7. AVilliam M. Hill, from 1871 to 1887, - 16 years. 

Re-elected in 1887. 

Of the (Jircu'd Court. 

1. Kobert g Cutler, from 1831 to 181:7, - 16 years. 

2. G. X. Stevens, from 1847, and now clerk. 

mp:morial of spotswood garland. 

Spotswood Garland was born in Albemarle county in 
1777, and died at Lovingston, in Xelson county, in 
September, 1850. He was appointed clerk of the 
county court and qualiiied at the June term, 1808, and 
continued to hold the office till the time of his death, 
in the month of September, 1850. He had been deputy 
clerk in the county of Amherst under William Craw- 
ford. There is now in the clerk's office of Xelson 
county a well-l)ound book containing, in Mr. Garland's 
handwriting, forms for every entry to be made in any 
proceeding, civil or criminal, in a court of general ju- 
risdiction, as was the old county court. On the fly- 
leaf is this title page : "A Collection of Forms of the 
Best Kind, for the Use of Clerks, by Spotswood Gar- 
land. December the lOth, in the year 1798. Bought 
of ]). S. Garland. Price 20s." 



OLH VIKGINIA CLKKKS. 253 

This sliows how tlioronglily he wa.s ])re])ariii'>- iiim- 
Bclf for performing the duties of his office, and for pro- 
motion on tlie death of his principal, or, as was the 
case, for election to the office in a new county. 

He was a man of great natural ability ; was a forci- 
ble and elegant speaker on occasions ; he was a most 
hospitable gentleman; of fine conversational attain- 
ments ; a wit and humorist of high order, and many of 
his " anecdotes," that kept the audience in a roar, would, 
if preserved, have rivaled the ''Georgia Sceiies" or 
*' The Flush Times in Alabama." 

His popularity was veiy great, and as long as he lived 
he held well in hand that '' smaller constituency" which 
Mr. Eolfe Eldridge once told a friend he preferred to 
popular suffrage. He was eminently one of that ''old 
time" class, noted for its intelligence and influence in 
the State, which begun to disappear after 1830, with 
other characteristics of our government from its foun- 
dation, and which ended in 1852. 

Mr. Garland married a Miss Eoso, of Amherst, a lady 
who survived him, and who must yet be remembered 
by many of the old people, and especially the ministers 
and members of the Methodist Church, of which she 
was a shining light. They had three children : Hugh 
A. Garland, a lawyer, once speaker of the house of 
representatives of the United States, and who died in 
St. Louis, to which place he removed to practice his 
profession. The now venerable chancellor of the Yan- 
derbilt University ; he had previously been a professor 
in Washington College, Eandolph Macon College and 
president of the Universities of Alabama and Mis- 
sissippi, and a man of great ability and a scholar of rare 
attainments. The other was a daughter, Caroline, who 



254: OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

married M. H. Garland, a lawyer of Lynchburg ; they 
were the parents of General Samuel Garland who, after 
rapid promotion, w-as killed during the late war, an 
officer in the Confederate States army. 

The superior court of law for the county of JN'^elson 
was held for the first time in May, 1809, Archibald 
Stuart, of Augusta, the judge, assigned to the circuit 
of w4iich Nelson was a part. The act of assembly had 
appointed Spots wood Garland the clerk ; that appoint- 
ment was approved by Judge Stuart, and Mr. Garland 
gave a bond in a penalty of ten thousand dollars, with 
Kobert liives and his friend and old principal in Am- 
herst, William S. Crawford, as his sureties. This office 
he held during Judge Stuart's term of office, which 
expired, under the constitution of 1829-30, when Lucas 
P. Thompson became judge of the circuit superior court 
of law and chancery, held his first term on the 8th of June, 
1831, and appointed liobert C. Cutler clerk. Mr. Gar- 
land qualified as his deputy. Cutler being his deputy in 
the county court office ; and these two conducted the 
business of both offices till 1847, when Mr. Cutler died. 

The order-books, deed-books, will-books and all the 
records of the tvro offices are existing evidences of the 
skill, labor and unremitting attention and entire quali- 
fication with which the two offices were conducted for 
more than forty years. 

It may be suggestive to state that from 1808 to 1865 
this county had but two judges and but two clerks, and 
for more than twenty years of that period only one — 
the clerk of both courts. Ro. Whitehead. 

ROBERT C. CUTLER. 

He was practically educated as clerk while deputy 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 255 

under Mr. Garland. He was an admirable officer in all 
respects ; a gentleman of fine sense ; a literary man 
and a wit; held in higli esteem as a man and officer by 
the courts and the people. He was the father of Robert 
E. Cutler, who died young ; a lawyer and an orator of 
reputation in the State. He had a large family, one of 
his younger sons being Landon A. Cutler, now a min- 
ister of the gospel of distinction in the Church of the 
Disciples. 



NEW KENT COUNTY. 



New Kent Avas formed in 1684 from York, which, 
the same year, had been formed as one of the eight 
shires or counties into which the colony of Virginia was 
divided. It was settled by families from Kent, in Eng- 
land, and hence the name of New Kent was given to 
the county. Owing to the destruction by fire of the 
early records, it has been impossible to obtain a list of 
the names and dates of the clerks' service farther back 
than the year 1800, with the single exception of Chiche- 
ley Corhin Thacker^ who, as will be seen from III. 
Henning's Statutes at Large, was clerk of New Kent 
from 1673 to 1700. He united in his own person the 
names of three families that have been distinguished 
in English history, as well as in Virginia. Henry 
Chicheley was consecrated by Pope Gregory XII. as 
bishop of St. Davids in the year 1407, and arch-bishop 
of Canterbury in 1415. It may be supposed that the 



25r) OLD \ IR<;iMA CLEKKS. 

clerk of ^'t'w Kent was descended fn^iu liiiii, at; Kent 
was tlie seat of the See of Canterbury. 
Tlie clerks, since the year 1800, have been : 

1. J]at: Dandrige, from 1800 to 1821, - - 2i years. 

2. "John D. Christian, from 1824 to 18G4, 40 years. 
Z. Bat: Dandridi^e Christian, from 1864 to 

1871,---- -------7 years. 

4. Ed^i^ar Crnmp, from 1870 to 1887, - - 17 years. 
.'■>. J. X. Harris, was elected in May, lsS7, 

for six years. 



NORTHAMPTON COUNTY 



Northampton was originally called ^4 ccai^'Wifl^cX'^, and 
was one of the original eight shires or comities into 
which A^irginia was divided in 1G34. In March, 1640, 
its name was changed to Northampton ; and in 1672 its 
limits were rednced by the formation of the present 
county of Accomack. Northampton is the southern ex- 
tremity of the long low peninsular forming the eastern 
side of the Chesapeake, and known as the Eastern 
Shore. The clerks have been twenty-nine in nuniber, 
the most of whom were for very short periods : 

1. Thomas Cook, from 1640 to 1646, - - 6 years. 

2. Edward AFatthews, from 1646 to 1655, 11 years. 

3. Robert Howson, from 1655 to , - - 3 mos. 

4. G. Poke, from 1655 to , - - - - 6 mos. 

5. John Ik^ggs, from 1655 to 1659, - - - 4 years. 

* See sketch of Robert W. Christian, of Charles City, for notice of 
John D. Cliristian. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



257 



6. Eobert llutcliinson, from 1659 to 1GG4-, 

7. Jeta Kirkman, from 1664 to , - - 

8. William Mallinger, from 166-1- to 1670, - 
d. Daniel Neecli, from 1670 to 1671, - - 

10. John Culpeper, from 1671 to 1674, - - 

11. Daniel Neech, from 1674 to 1703, - - 

12. Hancock Custis,from 1703 to 1705, - - 

13. Kobert Howson, from 1705 to 1720, - - 

14. William Waters, from 1720 to , - - 

15. Zernbabel Preeson, from 1720 to , - 

16. James Locker, from 1720 to 1721, - - 

17. Hilaiy Stringer, from 1721 to 1722, - - 

18. Godfrey Poke, from 1722 to 1729, - - 

19. Thomas Cable, from 1729 to 1743, - - 

20. Griffin Stith, from 1743 to 1794, - - - 

21. Thomas Lyt. Savage, from 1794 to 1813, 

22. C. B. Upshnr, from 1813 to 1821, - - 

23. X. J. Winder, from 1821 to 1844, - - 

24. Louis P. Eogers, from 1844 to 1852, - 

25. LaFayette Harmanson, from 1852 to 1869, 

26. J. M. Brickhonse, from 1869 to 1878, - 

27. Wilham T. Fatchett, from 1878 to 1881, 

28. E. D. Pitts, from 1881 to 1883, - - - 

29. Gilmore S. Kendall, from 1883 to 1887, 
And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



5 


years. 


8 


mos. 


4 


years. 


1 


year. 


3 


years. 


29 


years. 


2 


years. 


15 


years. 


6 


mos. 


6 


mos. 


1 


year. 


1 


year. 


7 


years. 


14 


years. 


51 


years. 


19 


years. 


8 


years. 


23 


years. 


8 


years. 


17 


years. 


9 


years. 


3 


years. 


2 


years. 


4 


years. 



258 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. 



Kortliumberland was formed in 1 CAS. Owing to the 
destruction by iire of the clerk's office and the public re- 
cords in 1710, it has been somewhat difficult to ascertain 
the names and periods of service of the clerks previous 
to that date. In an old book in the office a nundjer of 
deeds and other writings are recorded a second time, 
probably from originals in the hands of the parties at 
the time the clerk's office was burned. As far back as 
16Ci Thomas Ilohsoii appears to have been the clerk, 
and one of the same name appears in the records in 
1676, 1677, 1678, 1680, 1681, 1683, 1702, and up to 
1716, making a period of iiftj-two years. This, though 
a very long term of service, is not longer than many 
others of the old clerks held their offices continuously ; 
and though the present clerk (William S. Cralle) thinks 
it not probable that this was one and the same person, 
I shall here place him as 

2. Thomas Ilobson, from 1661 to 1716, - 52 years. 

3. Ilichard Lee, from 1716 to 1735, - - - 19 ^'ears. 

4. James Fortaine, from 1735 to 1746, - - 11 years. 

5. "Billy" Claiborne, from 1746 to 1749, - 3 years. 
<>. Thomas Jones, Jr., from 1749 to 1778, - 29 years. 

7. Catesby Jones, from 1778 to 1800, - - 22 years. 

8. Fleming Bates, (a brother of Edward 

Bates, of Missouri), from 1800 to 1831, 31 years. 

9. M. B. Cralle, from 1831 to November, 

1846, (died), --------- 15 years. 

10. John E. Stith, from 1846 to December, 

1850, (died), ..------- 4 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 259 

n. A. J. Brent, from 1850 to August, 1859, 

(resigned), --------- 9 years. 

12. M. B. Cralle (son of above), from 1859 

■ to 1865, ---------- 6 years. 

13. A. J. Brent, (same as above), from 1865 

to 1 869, (removed), ------ 4. years. 

1^^ F. E. Dowe, appointed by mili- 
tary authority in 1869, was himself re- 
moved in February, 1870, and J. J. 
^C^v^aJ A McBoTvell appointed in his place. 

14. William S. Oralis, was appointed clerk in 

May, 1870, under the '^ enabling act,'' 
passed by the general assembly in pur- 
suance of the constitution that went 
into operation on the 27th of January, 
1870, and was elected by the people in 
l^ovember, 1871 ; qualified as clerk 'No- 
vember 13, 1871, and has held the office 
continuously to the present date (1887), 
making the whole period of his service 17 years. 
And was re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



NOTTOWAY COUNTY. 



Nottoway was formed from Amelia in 1788-9. The 
clerks of both courts have been : 

1. Isaac Holmes, from 1789 to 1793, - - 4 years. 

2. Peter Randolph, from 1793 to 1805, - 12 years. 

3. Francis Fitzgerald, from 1805 to 1852, 47 years. 

4. Richard Epes, from 1852 to 1879, - - 27 years. 

5. Herman Jackson, from 1879 to 1887, - 8 years. 
And re-elected in May, 1887, for a term of six years. 



260 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

SKETCH OF FRANCIS FITZGERALD. 

Tlie first clerk of Nottoway county was Isaac Holmes, 
appointed when the county was cut off from Amelia, 
5n May, 1789. Nothing is now known about him, and 
none of his descendants are known to be living in the 
county. He died in 1793. 

Peter Randolph was appointed in 1793 to succeed 
Isaac Holmes, and served until 1805, w^hen he resigned. 
None of his descendants now live in the county, and 
we cannot tell whether he belonged to the family so 
distinguished in the history of Virginia or not. 

Francis Fitzgerald, the subject of this sketch, was born 
in Nottoway (then Amelia) county March 27th, 1 783. He 
was the son of AVilliam Fitzgerald, a captain intheHev- 
olutionary war. His father procured for him at an early 
age the position of deputy under Mr. Peter Randolph, 
then clerk of the county, which position he held until 
March 7th, 1805, when Mr. Randolph resigned his 
office, and Mr. Fitzgerald was elected clerk. He con- 
tinued to fill the office to which he was so elected until 
the constitution of 1851-2 went into effect, when he 
<leclined to be a candidate, and was succeeded by Rich- 
ard Epes. 

Mr. Fitzgerald married his cousin, Fanny Jones, who 
bore him ten children, seven sons and three daughters. 
Two daughters and one son (the Rev. James II. Fitz- 
gerald, of Buckingham county,) are now living. He 
died September 17th, ISCO, in the seventy-eighth year 
of his age. He was a man of strong convictions, of 
unswerving integrity, of rather reserved manners, and 
filow to express his opinions, yet no man who ever lived 
in the county had stronger hold on the respect and con- 



OLD VIR(JL\IA CLERKS. 2G1 

fldence of his felluw-citizeiks, or did more to mould and 
guide ])ub]ic sentiment, and to direct it in subserviency 
to good manners and morals. For years, being a wid- 
ower wliose children had married and left him, he lived 
alone on a large plantation, surrounded by his slaves, 
several miles from the courthouse, s])ending his hours 
not devoted to the duties of his office, in diligent study 
of works on political economy, government and religion. 
In politics he was an uncompromising democrat. An- 
drew Jackson was his ideal President, and on Mr. Clay, 
and the abominations of which he believed him to be 
the author, his powers of invective were most often 
exercised. While he never connected hiuLself with 
any church, he was a diligent student of the Scriptures, 
and for many years before his death those who knew 
him best believed that he was a Christian, though un- 
willing so to announce himself. 

He inherited from his father, and accpiired by mar- 
riage, considerable property, (though his father gave 
less to him than to his other children, assigning as his 
reason that he had gotten a fortune for Frank when he 
procured for him the clerkship), and by strict attention 
to his office and economy he Avas enabled to leave at 
his death to his three sons and two daughters who sur- 
vived him a handsome estate. 

The following incidents will illustrate his strict integ- 
rity and punctillious adherence to the letter of the law 
and regard for the interest of those whose rights were 
entrusted to hi in : For one or more years lie farmed 
his office to a man who had been his deputy, agreeing to 
receive a percentage oT the fees. In due time the fee-bilk 
were made out, and his part of them delivered to him. 
lie had not proceeded far towards collection before 



26^ OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

some one refused to pay, and produced a fee-bill for the 
same services receipted by the deputy at tlie time the 
service was rendered. Not waiting to inquire into the 
matter or to discover whether it was the result of in- 
tentional fraud or of mistake, he destroyed every fee- 
bill and never afterwards sought to collect any fee for 
services rendered during the period for which he had 
farmed out the office — so careful was he that no one 
should have cause even to intimate that he was a party 
to or received benefit from any frand if such had been 
perpetrated. 

Coming to his office one morning, he found his 
son, who was then liis deputy, about to put to record 
a deed purjjorting to have been acknowledged before 
the deputy on the day previous. At that time the law 
authorized such acknowledgments to be taken only in 
the clerk's office. Recognizing the grantor as a resi- 
dent of a remote part of the county, and not having 
seen him in the office on the previous day, he inquired 
into the facts, and learned that the son, on the day be- 
fore, had attended a sale in the grantor's neighborhood, 
and had there taken the acknowledgment and received 
the deed for record. Nothing would satisfy him until 
his son had gotten his horse and, with the deed in his 
pocket, was on his way to the distant home of the 
grantor to takie him before a justice of the peace for 
proper acknowledgment of the deed. 

So svstematic and methodical was he in his office that 
he could, in the dark, iind any paper or bundle of papers 
he had filed, and he told a grandson that, for many 
months after he ceased to be clerk, he would often 
awake at night in great perplexity and anxiety, having 
dreamed that he was in the office searching for import- 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 26B 

ant papers in the place where he liad filed them, and [lad 
found them removed. 

On the march of the federal armj from Petersburg 
to Appomattox in 1865, the clerk's office of Kottoway 
was emptied of its contents, and turned, into a depot of 
supplies. The records and papers were scattered to the 
four winds, and the life-work of tliis public servant 
demolished. But on the generation now fast passing 
away he exerted an influence for good, and those who 
knew him bear testimony, without a dissenting voice, 
to his integrity, his fidelity to duty, and his patriotic 
devotion to all that he believed promotive of the good 
of his native State. 



NORFOLK COUNTY. 



Norfolk was formed in 1691 from Lower Norfolk, 
afterwards changed to Nansemond. The clerks have 
been : 

Of the County CcxaH. 

1. Samuel Boush, from 174^ to 1774, - - 32 years. 

2. John Boiish, from 1774 to 1792, - - - 18 years. 

3. William Wilson, iv., from 1792 to 1831, 39 years. 

4. William li. Wilson, from 1831 to 1839, 8 years. 

5. Arthur Emerson, from 1839 to 1859, - 20 years. 

6. LeRoy G. Edwards, from 1859 to 1866, 7 years. 

7. G. F. Edwards, from 1866 to 1869, - - 3 years. 

8. J, P. Hodges, from 1869 to 1875, - - 6 years. 

9. Eush a'Denise from 1875 to 1880, - - 5 years. 
10. Alvah H. Martin, from 1880 to 1887, - 7 years. 

And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



264 OLD VIHGIXIA CLERKS. 

MEMORIAL OF J.KROV (iRlFKIX EDWARDS. 

LeRoy Griffin Edwards was elected clerk of the 
county and circuit courts of Xorfolk county in 1858 
over two competitors. Mr. Edwai'ds wa.s born in Xortli- 
umberland county on the 14th day of February, 1804. 
He was a son of (Triffin Edwards and Prescilla, liis wife, 
who was Prescilla Lee, daui^hter of Kendall Lee, of 
"Ditchley," Xorthunil)erland county, who was son of 
Hancock Lee, youngest son of Colonel Pichard Lee, 
cadet of the house of '' Litchfield," England, and head 
of the Virginia family of that name. His ])aternal 
grandfather was Thomas Edwards, clerk of the courts 
of Northumberland county, who married Elizabeth 
Fauntleroy, daughter of Colonel (rritfiu Fauntleroy. 
Mr. Edwards was also nearly connected with the Balls, 
Bushrods, Paynes, Griffins, Fitzhughs and other well- 
known Virginia families. When a young man Mr. 
Edwards removed to Xorfolk county, and, after teach- 
ing school for two or three years, was, about 1834 or 
1835, elected collector of tolls of the Dismal Swamp 
canal, which })Osition he continued to hold until 18G5, 
when he was elected president of said company. In 
1836 he married Miss Fannie W. Robins, of Xoi-folk 
county, daughter of John Pobins, formerly of Glou- 
cester county. Li LS45 he was elected first president 
of the count}^ school board, and continued as such until 
1857, when he was elected superintendent of public 
Bchools. In 18r)8 he was, as above stated, elected clerk 
of the courts. 

^Ir. Edwards was a gentleman of high literary at- 
tainments and universally popular. He was an upright 
and honest man. a good citizen, a devoted husband. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 285 

father and friend, and as affectionate an<l tender in iiis 
feelings as a woman. 

At tlie breaking out of the late civil war Mr. Ed- 
wards was a strong Union man, and was subsequently 
elected president of the Union State convention which 
assembled in the city of Alexandria in 1864. 

He had three sons, John Robins Edwards, Griffin 
Fanntleroy Edwards and LeKoy Bushrod Edwards, at 
that time aged respectively nineteen, seventeen and 
fourteen years. x\ll of them entered the confederate 
army, John R. as first-lieutenant of Company A, Third 
Virginia infantry regiment, Kemper's brigade, Picket^s 
division ; LeKoy B., a private in same company, and 
Griffiin F., sergeant-major and afterwards adjutant 
Sixty-first Virginia infantry regiment, Mahone's divis- 
ion. 

Notwithstanding the bitter feeling engendered by 
the war, such was the popularity of Mr. Edwards and 
the confidence in his honesty of purpose that he was 
re-elected clerk of the courts in 1865 by the votes of 
the returned confederate soldiers, who supported him 
almost unanimousl}^ 

He died on the 23d day of August, 1866, leaving 
surviving him his widow, Fannie W. Edwards, now 
residing in the city of Portsmouth, and the following 
children : John P. Edwards, now clerk of the circuit 
court of Carroll county, Missouri ; Griffin F. Edwards, 
now of Edwards and Happer, attorneys at law, Ports- 
mouth, Virginia ; LePoy B. Edwards, of Deep Creek, 
Norfolk county, and Posa Lee Happer, wife of John 
W. Happer, of Edwards and Happer. Mr. Edwards 
was, at the time of his death, clerk of the county and 
circuit courts of Norfolk county, president of the Dis- 



266 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

mal Swamp Canal Company and superintendent of 
public scliools. His son Griffin F. Edwards succeeded 
him as clerk of the courts. 
NcYdemler '2J4h, 1886. 

GRIFFIN FAUNTLEROY EDWARDS, 

Son of Leiloy Griffin Edwards and Fannie W. Ed- 
wards, who succeeded his father as clerk of the county 
and circuit courts of JSTorfolk county, was born at Deep 
Creek, in said county, on the 16th day of September, 
1844. In 1855 he was sent to " Union Male Academy," 
Ilarrellsville, Hertford county, iS'orth Carolina, where 
he remained nearly three years ; then he attended a 
classical school in the city of Norfolk, and in the win- 
ter of 1861 entered Emory and Henry College, Wash- 
ington county, Virginia. In May of tlie same year, 
the students withdrew in a body, most of them with 
the avowed purpose of entering the confederate army. 
Early in 1862 he enlisted in Company E, Sixty-first 
Viririnia refriment, Mahone's brio-ade. Soon after he 
was detailed as clerk to General H. V). Davidson, coin- 
manding the Yalley district, with lieadquarters at Staun- 
ton ; remained there until the fall of 1868, when he 
returned to his regiment, and was immediately ap- 
pointed sergeant-major, which position he filled until 
the fall of 1804, wlien he became acting a<ljutant and 
recommended for promotion. Young Edwards was in 
every engagement with liis regiment after he rejoined 
it, and escaped unharmed until Friday evening, April 
Tth, 1865, two days before General Lee's surrender, at 
Cumberland church, near Farmville, when he was 
wounded in the right shoulder by a minnie-ball, and 
left on the battle-iield. After his recovery, and l)eing 



OLD VIROINIA CLERKS. 267 

paroled, he returned lionie, just as lie was budding into 
manhood, and entered the office as deputy clerk of the 
county and circuit courts. His father died in August, 
1866, and the following November Mr. Edwards was 
almost unanimously elected clerk over two prominent 
candidates, onlfij ahout fifty votes being polled against 
him in the entire county. 

He conducted the offi('e with entire satisfaction until 
March 10th, 18G9, (two years before the expiration of 
bis term), when be was removed by the military gov- 
ernor of Yii'ginia because he could not subscribe to the 
iron-clad oath. Mr. Edwards then began the practice 
of law, locating in the city of Portsmouth, and has con- 
tinued in active practice to the present. lie was ap- 
pointed a commissioner in chancery of the hustings 
court of said city, and, in 1871, upon tbe creation of 
the office, was designated as the commissioner of ac- 
counts, which he still holds. 

On the 6th day o1 October, 1869, Mr. Edwards mar- 
ried Miss Belle Bilisoly, youngest daughter of Joseph 
A. Bilisoly, of Portsmouth. In November, 1879, Mr. 
Edwards was elected to the legislature, serving the ses- 
sion of 1879 and 1880. In February, 1882, he was 
elected and confirmed by the Senate as superintendent 
of public schools of the city of Portsmouth for a terra 
of four years, beginning July 1st, 1882. Mr. Edwards 
is now a member of the law firm of Edwards and 
Happer, Portsmouth, Virginia. 

November 2!^ih, 1886. 

MEMORIAL OF ARTHUR EMERSON. 

In 1810 Captain Arthur Eramerson, a magistrate 
of Norfolk county, residing in Portsmouth, was elected 



2C8 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

^' clerk of tlie court'* to till tlie vacancy occasioned by 
the resignation of Mr. William 11. Wilson. Judge 
Baker at tlie same time appointed Artluir Emmerson, 
Jr., clerk in the "circuit court" of the same county, 
and A. Emmerson, Jr., becoming his father's "deputy," 
was thus at the ay;e of twentv-three chosen to fill a 
very responsible position, for which, however, he had 
been prepared while serving in the office during Mr. 
Wilson's term. In 1S42 Captain Emmerson died, 
when this son was elected by the magistrates to fill the 
office of clerk for the county court. Portsmouth was 
then, as now, the seat of the court for Norfolk county. 
The prominent lawyers of that day in Portsmouth were 
Mr. J. A. Chandler, Messrs. John and James Murdough,. 
and Mr. J. II. Langhorne ; and those in regular at- 
tendance from the city of Norfolk were ]\Ir. Swepston 
Whitehead, Mr. Nimmo, Mr. Maxewell, ^Mr. McFarlen, 
Mr. Taylor, Mr. Sharp and Mr. Millson. 

Mr. Emmerson's school-days were passed in his native 
town, where he was a pupil of those well-known edu- 
cators, Mr. Leroy Anderson and Mr. Henry Pendle- 
ton. Among his schoolmates were Mr. Wm. J. Baker, 
Mr. Daniel Hatton, Mr. Blow, Mr. Sam M. Wilson, 
Holt Wilson and Dr. Schooldfield. Most of them 
having passed to the silent land, do now rest from their 
labors. 

That Mr. Emmerson filled the place with fidelity 
and diligence to which he was so early called may be 
inferred by his having the office confided to his keep- 
ing for an unusually long period. During the civil 
war, when Norfolk county was evacuated by the South- 
ern soldiers, he remained by the records until Norfolk 
and Portsmouth passed under military control, and he 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 269 

was removed by tlie military governor of tins district. 
Mr. Emmerson was not again connected with tlie clerk's 
office except in tlie way of instruction and advice, 
when applied to by unpracticed officials. In Decem- 
ber, 1864, he declined to take the oath required by the 
federal government, and left his home for the confed- 
eracy. Mr. Emmerson died at his home in Portsmouth 
December 15th, 1870. 

Tlie December court for the city of Portsmouth was 
fitting at this time, and as the resolutions passed by 
jtiieir body in memory of Mr. Emmerson were re- 
eponded to by the entire community as a just apprecia- 
tion of his worth and their loss, we quote a part of 
them : 

" That in the death of Arthur Emmerson this com- 
munity has lost a most estimable citizen, whose expe- 
rience and advice in the sphere of usefulness in which 
his life has been passed was ever at the command of 
all who sought them, and were always freely rendered 
in a spirit of kindness and benevolence which was 
universally remarked as prominent in his noble char- 
acter." 

"That the void which has been made by the death 
of Arthur Emmerson will be realized most deeply by 
the poor and destitute, the widow and orphan, who have 
lost in the lamented deceased a fast and firm friend." 

The board of directors of the Portsmouth Savings 
Bank uses this language : 

. '' That we lament in common with our fellow-citizens 
the loss of one whose life, in its uniform tenor, was a 
happy and practical illustration of public and private 
worth, of libanility, munilicence and charity. That 
whilst niourniiuj, the inspiring hope springs up that 



270 01>]) VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

his spirit enters upon the threshold of eternity with 
the goodly memorial of a well-spent life, the harbinger 
of a hlissful imniortality." 

The vestry of Trinity church, in one of their reso- 
lutions, has the following : 

" In the death of our deceased friend the world has 
lost a man of pure character and noble life. The com- 
munity has been deprived of one of its most honored 
and useful citizens, and the poor of a friend whoso 
sympathy and help were never sought in vain. From 
this vestry has been taken a most useful member and 
officer, whose memory shall ever be sacredly cherished 
by us all." 

One of the newspapers of that day says : 

*'The solemn funeral ceremonies attending the burial 
of the remains of the lamented Arthur Emmerson 
took place at Trinity church yesterday, at meridian, in 
the presence of a large throng of the people of our 
community generally, all of whom plainly wore a sin- 
•cere sorrow in their mien. The Episcopal ritual was 
conducted by Eev. Dr. Wingfield and the Rev. J. S. 
Lindsay, the last named delivering a eulogy upon the 
life and character of the deceased so full of feeling 
and moviniy tenderness that it thrilled with emotion 
the hearts of all who heard it. 

'^ At the grave the mortuary services concluded, and 
the remains were lowered into their narrow cell amid 
the subdued sobs of almost the entire multitude. 'Dust 
to dust, ashes to ashes and earth to earth' was pro- 
nounced by the priest of God, and all that was mortal 
of one of the truest friends and one of the best of men 
was laid away to rest with the ashes of his fathers until 
that great day for which all other days were made." 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 271 



ORANGE COUNTY. 



Orange was formed in 1731 from Spotsylvania. Its 
original limits coniprised the whole of Virginia west 
of the Blue Kidgo, at one time known as West Au- 
gusta. Tlie clerks have been : 

1. Henry WiHis, fr#m 1734 to 1740, - - 6 years. 

2. Jonathan Gibson, from 1740 to 1744, - 4 years. 

3. John Nicholas, from 1744 to 1 749, - - 5 years. 

4. George Taylor, from 1749 to 1772, - - 23 years. 

5. James Taylor, from 1772 to 1798, - - 26 years. 

6. George C. Taylor, from 1798 to 1801, - 3 years. 

7. Reynolds Chapman, from 1801 to 1844, 43 years. 

8. Philip S. Fry, from 1844 to 1859, - - 15 years. 

9. Philip II. Fry, from 1859 to 1887, - - 28 years. 





MEMORIALS OF ORANGE CLERKS. 

Of the six earlier clerks no information of a reliable 
character can be furnished, they being all dead early 
in the present century, and none of the old citizens 
now livino; can tell much about them. 

Reynolds Chapman, tlie seventh on the list, was born 
in Hanover county, Virginia, in 1777. His father was 
Richard Chapman, an English merchant, who married 
a Miss Mossam, daughter of an Episcopal minister of 
colonial days. Reynolds Chapman married Rebecca 



272 OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

Madison, a lovely character, daughter of General AVil- 
liani Madison and niece of ex-President Madison, and 
was connected with the Throckmorton family, one of 
which, Elizabeth, was married to Sir Walter Kaleigh. 
He learned the duties of the clerk's office in the city of 
Richmond, in the same office and at the same time 
with Hon. Andrew Stevenson. Mr. Chapman was a 
gentleman of high character, exceedingly popular and 
a fine clerk, as was fully attested by the length of time 
he held the position, which only terminated with his 
death in 1844. Ilis son. Captain Richard Chapman, 
is now deputy clerk of Orange county. 

Philip S. Fry was born in Madison county, Virginia, 
in May, 1801. He was the son of Reuben Fry, whose 
father was Rev. Henry Fry, a Methodist minster, and 
his father was Colonel Joshua Fry, of the Revolu- 
tionary army. Reuben Fry married Ann Slaughter, 
sister of Captain Philip Sh\ughter, who commanded 
the company called the " Culpeper minute men" in the 
war of the Revolution. Philip S. Fry entered the 
clerk's office under his predecessor, Reynolds Chapman, 
on the 4:th of March, 1817, the day of the inauguration 
of President James Monroe, of which incident he was 
very proud, for he was a great admirer of Mr. Monroe, 
and often referred to it. When a fi-iend would ask 
him how long he had been in the office, he Avould say, 
" I came into office with Mr. Monroe on the 4th of 
March, 1817." He remained in office cither as deputy 
or assistant during the life-time of his principal, with 
the exception of two years, between 1830 and 1835, 
when he went to Kentucky. He was the voune:est of 
a large family of children, one of whom was the late 
judge Joseph L. Fry, formerly of Wheeling, Virginia ; 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 273 

another was James Henry Fry, late of Kanawha county. 
He married, in Angust, 1833, Miss Parmeha Anderson, 
a daughter of Edmund Anderson, wlio, at one time, 
was a prominent and successful merchant of Kichmond. 
After the death of Mr. Chapman he was elected clerk, 
and continued so until his own death, in August, 1859. 
He wrote a splendid hand with great rapidity, and easily 
read; was also a fine commisssoner in chancery, and 
withal a first-rate judge of law. 

Philip H. Fry, the present clerk, was born in June, 
1834, and at the age of eighteen, was taken into the 
clerk's ofiice by his father, and after his death, in 1859, 
was elected clerk, and has held the ofiice ever since, by 
six different elections, to the present time, with the ex- 
ception of two years (1809 and 1870) when it was held 
by a mihtary appointee, whose only qualification was 
that he could take the iron-clad oath, which the incum- 
bent could not take. 



PAGE COUNTY. 



Page was formed in 1S31 from Shenandoah and 
Rockingham. The clerks have been : 

1. William A. Harris, from 1831 to 1838, - 7 years. 

I^^He represented his district in 
Congress from 1841-3, and was after- 
wards minister of the United States to 
Buenos Ayres. 

2. Wm. C. Lauck, from 1838 to 1815, - - 7 years. 



2?4 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

3. Jolm W. Watson, from 1845 to 1882, - 37 years. 

IJ^^From a "memorial" of this ex- 
cellent man, published aftei* his death 
by liev. John S. IMartin, D. D., we 
learn that "No man in Page county 
was more esteemed, as was evidenced 
by his repeated election to the clerk- 
shij) of his county, which he held un- 
til his death, in 1882." lie was a 
faithful and efficient clerk, and, besides 
this, was from an early period of his 
life a useful and devoted local preacher 
in the Methodist Episcoi)al Church. 

4. A. Broaddus, from 1882 to 1887, - - - .5 years. 

Ee-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



PATPJCK COUNTY. 



Patrick was fontii^d in 1791 from Ilenry. The clerks 
have been: 

1. Samuel Staples, from 1791 to 1825, - - 34 years. 

2. Abram Staples (his son),f rom 1825 to 1852, 27 years. 

I^^In 1844 he resigned the clerkship 
of the circuit court, and was succeeded 
in the latter office by his son, 

3. Samuel G. Staples, who held it from 1844 

to 1852, ---------- 8 years. 

4. Abram Staples (nephew of Abram), cir- 

cuit court, from 1852 to 18G9, - - - 17 years, 
when he was removed by military au- 
thority, the appointee (John L. Anglin) 
liolding to 1st January, 1871, - - - 2 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 275 

5. Henry Tiiggle (coiTiity court) from 185'2 

to 1869, - - - 17 yeara; 

6. Larkin G. Rucker (county court), from 

1871 to 1887, - - 16 years. 

7. Thomas Clark (circuit court), from 1870 

to 1871, I year. 

when the amended constitution went into effect, and 
Larkin G. Rucker, liaving been elected clerk of the- 
county court, became ex officio clerk also of tlie circuit 
court, and continues as such to the present time (1887.) 

MEMORIAL OF COLONEL SAM[JEL STAPLES. 
BY HIS GRANDSON, JUDGE SAMUEL G. STAPLES, OF WASHINGTON, D. O, 

Early in the date of seventeen hundred, two brothers^ 
Samuel and John Staples, immigrated to this country 
from England, the former settling in some one of 
the JSTortherii States, the latter locating in Buck- 
ingham county, Virginia, where Colonel Samuel Sta- 
ples, the subject of this sketch, was born, on the 23d 
day of March, 1702. It was in the spring of tlie year 
1781 — the darkest hour in our country's history during 
her seven years' struggle for independence — when he 
was barely nineteen years old, that, animated by a sin- 
cere love of his country, he succeeded in raising a vol^ 
unteer company in his native county, which was assigned 
to that division of the army under General Wayne. 
He took an active part in the attack made by AYayne, 



2TG OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

aided bv tlie Froncli under LaFajette, upon Cornwallis 
on the "9111 of Jnlj, 1781, at old Jamestown, by whicli 
a severe blow was inflicted, and by which the British 
commander suffered a heavy loss. He continued in 
active service until the termination of the battle of 
Yorktown ; was present at the surrender of Cornwallis, 
and w^as promoted to the office of major for gallantry 
on that memorable day. The writer of this article well 
remembers, many years ago, when a very young man, 
hearing it related by old men then living, that w^hen 
the British troops were surrendering their arms a Brit- 
ish officer made some offensive remarks about the un- 
couth appearance presented by the Americans. Captain 
Staples immediately drew his sw^ord and was about to 
make an attack upon the officer, when an American 
officer interfered and informed him that the British 
officer being then a prisoner of war he was not to be 
mistreated. Upon the declaration of peace, Colonel 
Staples, possessed of not a dollar in proj^erty except 
about two thousand dollars in worthless continental 
money, moved from his native county to Henry, and 
was soon appointed by Major John Redd, then '' high 
sheriff" of that county, as one of his deputies, and 
was assigned to that portion of county now Patrick, as 
his field of operations. It may not be entirely irrele- 
vant to state in this connection that Major Hedd entered 
the continental army in the early stage of the Ttevolu- 
tion as a wagon-boy and came out a major, having been 
raised by regular gradation to that office by long and 
faithful services in his country's cause. In the year 
1701 an act was passed by the legislature forming a new 
county out of all that portion of the county of Henry 
now embraced by the limits of the county of Patrick 



OLD VlKaiNIA CLEKKS. 2 IT 

(givlni2: it tlie Jiame of Patrick), the two being named 
after Patrick Henry. The county contains about five 
hundred square miles, and, as the population wa*; ex- 
ceedingly sparse at tliat day, and the country very rough 
and broken, the duties of a deputy sheriff must have 
been very laborious and not verv profitable. Althouerh 
the site of the present town of Stuart had been selected 
as the county seat, still not a liouse had been built, and 
when the coui't convened for the purpose of electing a 
clerk, constable and other county officers, and recom- 
mending a sheriff to be commissioned by the governor, 
that august tribunal selected a stout log under a large 
walnut-tree as a county court bench. Under the wide- 
spreading branches of this venerable denizen of the 
forest, the formality of the election was gone through 
with, and resulted in the unanimous choice of Colonel 
Samuel Staples as clerk of the county court. It may 
be w^ell imagined that the clerk j??'<9 temi. made his en- 
tries upon a slip of paper resting upon an ancient pair 
of saddle-bags as a clerk's table, seated on a decayed 
stump hard by. Although he w^as opposed by Mr. John 
Cox, who had acted as deputy clerk of the county court 
of Henry for several years, and was well qualified to 
discharge the duties of the ofiice, yet the records show 
that Mr. Cox did not receive a single vote. It is re- 
ported that some year or two afterwards he was present 
at the courthouse on some county court day, and, on 
being asked when court would convene, liis reply was 
" whenever they get so drunk they can't stand." The 
old m.an, at that time, had probably not recovered from 
the mortification of his signal defeat. Until the pas- 
sage of the act of 1808, dividing the State into tw^elve 
judicial circuits, there were no circuit superior courts 



278 OLD VLRGINIA CLEKKS. 

in existence. The State, soon after the close of the 
war, had been divided into judicial districts, some cen- 
tral point being selected for holding the district courts. 
The district conrt for the district in which Patrick was 
embraced was held at Kew London, a very ancient town, 
situated in the county of Bedford, about twelve miles 
from the present city of Lyncliburg, and distant from 
the county of Patrick about one hundred miles. It 
was during the session of one of the district courts held 
at this place that Patrick Henry delivered his well- 
remembered " beef speech " during the trial of John 
Ilook. Colonel Staples was in the regular habit of 
attending this court, and lieard Govei-nor Henry deliver 
that celebrated speech, the effect of wliich upon the 
assembled crowd he has often been heard to describe. 
The first superior court for the county of Patrick, under 
the provisions of the act of 1808, was held at the pres- 
ent county seat on the Otli day of October, 1809, by 
Judge Paul Carrington, an able lawyer, of unblemished 
reputation, who had been a member of and taken a 
prominent ])art in the proceedings of tlie A^irginia con- 
vention of 1788, convened for the purpose of deliber- 
ating on the constitution adopted and recommended by 
the memorable federal convention of 17S7. The re- 
cords of that term of the court show that Colonel 
Samuel Staples was appointed its first clerk. The 
clerks of both the county and superior courts being ap- 
pointed for life or " during good behavior," Colonel 
Staples discharged the duties of the two offices continu- 
ously, and to the entire satisfaction of both the bar and 
the country, until May, 1825, when, lal)oring under a 
severe attack of paralysis, which incapacitated him from 
discharging the arduous duties imposed upon him, he 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 279 

th(nj<>:lit it incumbent on him to resio^n. On the 80th 
day of December, 1701, he was united in marriage to 
Lucirula Penn, a lady of rare personal attractions, of 
somid practical sense, a daughter of Colonel Abram 
Penn, a legitimate descendant, by a direct line, of Wil- 
liam Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania — a man of 
eminent virtues; possessed of a strong, controlling sense 
of religious duty, as well as a fervent desire to promote 
the happiness of mankind, and of whom Yoltaij'e said : 
" he was the only man who ever made a treaty with the 
Indians that was never sworn to and never broken." 
She was the sister of Colonel George Penn, of Revo- 
lutionary memory, who, for several years, represented 
the senatorial district in the general assembly of Vir- 
ginia of which Patrick formed a part. He was a mem- 
ber of the senate when the celebrated resolutions of 
1798 and 1799, which formed the basis upon which the 
platform of principles that bore the then republican 
party, under the leadership of Mr. Jelferson, into power, 
was erected, were passed, and he bore a prominent part 
in their discussion and in the procurement of their final 
passage. He was among the few men who had the 
honor of receiving a unanimous vote in his district 
during a canvass of no ordinary activity and excitement. 
He was one of nine brothers, all men of the highest 
respectability ; of great personal popularity ; of ac- 
knowledged influence in the community in which they 
resided — seven of whom filled the offices of justices of 
the peace during that period of Yirginia's history when 
her magistracy was graced by the first gentlemen of 
the land — a class of men who, for dignity of character, 
for unblemished reputation, and for sound judgment, 
had no superiors during their day and generation. They 



280 OLD VrR(.INIA CLEKKS. 

■filled ail office wliicli Mr. Madison and Mr. Monroe, 
after their retirement from the presidency, did not feel 
it beneatli theii* diirnity to accept and hold until the 
<lays of tlicir deatli. ^Fany of tliese old jut^tices (*' noble 
old Ji<»!iians'' tliey were) lield tlie office of justice of 
the peace and occii})ied seats upon the county court 
benches for many consecutive years, receiving no other 
reward for their lon^: and faithful services than the in- 
jidecpiate ])rice paid them for the farming the sheriff- 
idty, when the office of sherift' was conferred upon 
them, according to the date of their commissions. Thej 
have long since been gathered to their fathers, but they 
A\ ill ever be held in grateful remembrance by all who 
pro])erly a])]n'eciate dignity of character and sterling 
Avorth. 

The fruits of the marriage of Colonel Samuel Staples 
and Lucinda Penn were Colonel Abram Staples, w^ho 
will be the subject of a sketch hereafter to be written ; 
Colonel John C. Staples, who represented his native 
county in the j^ublic councils of the State, a man of 
cultivated intellect, of jovial temperament, with a heart 
tilled with the milk of human kindness and of un- 
bounded personal popularity. His eldest daughter, 
Kezia Staples, a woman of rare intellectual endowments, 
of sound, practical sense, and who, for a number of 
years, assisted her father in the discharge of his duties as 
clerk, married Waller Redd, who was, for many years, 
clerk of both superior and county courts of Henry, a 
man of great influence and weight of chai'acter, whose 
only daughter is now the surviving widow of the late 
Hon. William Ballard Preston, and resides at Smith- 
field, in the county of Montgomerj^, Virginia, at the 
old family mansion of the late James Preston, for- 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 281 

merly governor of Yirginia. William Ballard Pres- 
ton was a man " not unknown to fame," who repre- 
sented as well his native county (Montgomery) in both 
branches of the general assembly as his district (as the 
district then was) in the congress of the United States, 
who Avas secretary of the navy under the administra- 
tion of General Zachary Taylor ; a member of the cel- 
ebrated secession convention of Yirginia of 1861, and 
afterwards a member of the senate of the Confederate 
States ; an able and eminently successful lawyer, and 
around whose honored name cluster many rich and 
never-to-be-forgotten associations, both state and na- 
tional. His youngest daughter, Ruth P. Staples, mar- 
ried James M. Pedd, of the county of Henry, who was 
repeatedly honored by his constituents with a seat in 
the general assembly of Virginia, who served with credit 
to himself and with honor to his native county, and one 
of whose granddaughters is now the accomplished wife 
of Judge Stafford G. Whittle, the present able and pop- 
ular judge of the fifth judicial circuit of Virginia. 
Shortly after Colonel Staples' marriage he commenced 
the erection of the present large and noted stone man- 
sion now standing at the head of Main street in the 
present town of Stuart, A large portion of the rock 
with which the building was constructed was hauled a 
distance of six miles, and as it contains twelve rooms, 
and as the walls of the first story are four feet thick, 
and the house is two stories and a half high, some idea 
may be formed of the magnitude of the undertaking, 
more particularly when the S2:)arseness of the popula- 
tion, the scarcity of labor and the difiiculty of procur- 
ing skilled stone-masons and building materials in that 
remote region is taken into consideration. Wliilst the 



2S2 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

mere construction of such a building is a matter of no 
particular moment, yet it is alluded to more particu- 
larly to illusti-ate one striking trait that cliaracterized 
Colonel Staples' character, and that was a lixed deter- 
mination to succeed in whatever he undertoolr, in spite 
of all obstacles. When the house was finished it was 
the subject of wonder and astonishment to the rude 
and uncultivated people who inhabited that mountain- 
ous region, and who probably had never seen or heard 
of any structure larger than the small, rude log cabins 
in which they dwelt. It is now owned by Judge Sam- 
uel G. Staples, his grandson, and is in the occupancy 
of his son, D. D. Staples, who is the fourth generation 
that has dwelt under its roof. 

Colonel Samuel Staples was a man of note in his 
day ; of great personal popularity ; scrupulously honest 
in all his dealings ; possessed of a clear head, a sound 
mind and discriminating judgment, who, by dint of 
industry and perseverance, amassed wdiat was regarded 
at that day as a large fortune. Whilst he was devotedly 
attached to his business occupations, and rarely ever 
permitted them to be neglected for pleasui-e or pastime, 
yet he was a great sportsman — fond of fishing and hunt- 
ino:. His skill as a marksman, with his old fashioned 
mountain rifle, was the subject of wonder and aston- 
ishment with the old hunters of his day. lie was pas- 
sionately fond of entering the list as a contestant for 
*' the quarter of beef" that was nsnally shot for among 
the mountaineers of that day, (a diversion kept up still 
in many parts of the country), and though he rarely 
ever failed to win, yet he as rarely ever failed to be- 
stow his reward upon some needy man or woman. 

Although he was no politician, in the broader sense 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 283 

of tliat term, still lie nsiiall j felt and expressed a deep in- 
terest in the political cpiestions of his day, and was a de- 
cided republican of the Jelfersonian school. In person 
he was of full medium height, being near six feet high, 
with limbs fasliioned in nature's finest mould ; form 
erect and commanding ; a full forehead, with all the 
marks of a superior mind and intellect. He had re- 
ceived no training but what his own observation of men 
and things had produced, but for reflection and strong 
reasoning powers he was far superior to the class of 
men by whom he was surrounded, and over whom he 
always exercised a controlling influence. 

After a diligent and faithful service of thirty-one 
years as clerk of the county and superior courts of the 
county of Patrick, he was suddenly stricken with pa- 
ralysis and, after a lingering illness of three years, 
which he bore with remarkable fortitude and resigna- 
tion, he (piietly passed away, in the sixty-second year 
of his age, beloved and respected by all who knew him ; 
for it may well and appropriately be said of him — 

" None knew him but to love him, 
None named him but to praise." 



MEMORIAL OF COLONEL ABRAM STAPLES. 
BY mS SON, JUDGE SAMUEL G. STAPLES, OF WASHINGTON, D. C. 

Colonel Abram P. Staples, son of Colonel Samuel 
and Lucinda Staples, was born near the present town 
of Stuart, now the county seat of the county of Patrick, 
Virginia, on the 9th of March, 1793. During his boy- 
hood he acquired the rudiments of just such an educa- 
tion as was then taught in what was known as "the 
old field schools of Yirginia," at the same time assist- 
ing his father, who was then clerk of the court, in the 



284 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

discharge of the duties of his office. At the age of 
seventeen he was sent to Cliapel Hill, then known as 
the University of Xorth Carolina, a famous institution 
of that day, and at this time patronized by a large 
number of the leadinsr men of the South. While 
there, the war of 1812 between the United States and 
Great Britain broke out, and, tired by ]:)atriotism, in 
the spring of 1812 he returned home, and, in spite of 
the determined opposition of his father, raised a volun- 
teer rifle company, and in the summer of that year 
marched to Norfolk and joined the American forces 
assembled there, under the command of General Rob- 
ert B. Taylor. His company was stationed on Craney 
Island, a low, flat and bare island at the mouth of 
Elizabeth river, about five miles below Norfolk, com- 
manding the inward approach from Hampton Boads, 
and on its successful defence depended the safety of 
the borough as well as of Portsmouth and the sur- 
rounding country. While there, he assisted in that 
noble and gallant repulse of the British under the 
command of the notorious but infamous Admiral Cock- 
burn, whose mission (as he declared) was to lay waste 
the country, burn, pillage and destroy property, both 
public and private, and whose boast was that " he in- 
tended to chastise the Americans into submission." On 
the 22d day of January, 1813, he entered Hampton 
Boads with an imposing and formidable array of about 
twenty vessels, consisting of fourteen frigates and trans- 
ports, and with an armed force of four thousand men. 
The American army consisted of four hundred militia, 
one company of light infantry and a detachment of 
thirty men sent from Norfolk by General Taylor. 
While attempting to go up to that city he landed about 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 2S5 

twenty-six hundred men on tlie island, and made an 
attack on the Americans nnder the immediate com- 
mand of Major Faulkner, a gallant and meritorious 
officer, and was most signally repulsed, with a loss of 
four hundred men in killed and wounded, while the 
loss of the Americans did not exceed thirty. The man- 
ner in which the defence was conducted, with a vastly 
inferior force, j-etlected lasting honor upon the gallant 
band of heroes who took part in that impoi-tant action, 
as well as upon the country at large. The cool delib- 
eration and mature judgment, tlie bravery and enthu- 
siasm, which was so strikingly manifested on the occa- 
sion by our comparatively small force, and the complete 
snccess of the day, all united to render the battle one 
of the most decisive and victorious that occurred durino- 
the war. In General Kobei't B. Taylor's report to the 
secretary of war of this engagement he used the fol- 
lowing language: "The courage and constancy with 
which the inferior force, in the face of a formidable 
naval armament, not only sustained a position on which 
no defence was complete, but repulsed the enemy with 
considerable loss, cannot fail to command tlie approba- 
tion of the government and the applause of the country. 
It has infused in the residue of the army a general 
spirit of competition, the beneficial effects of wliich 
will, I trust, be displayed in our future combats." 

The writer of this article read, some years ago, a let- 
ter addressed by General Taylor to Captain Staples 
complimenting him and speaking in high terms of the 
gallantry his company displayed on that occasion. 
This company — a riHe company, consisting of sixty 
men "rank and file" — was composed of brave, hardy 
mountaineers, such as they were in those days, inured 



286 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

to liardsliips and privations, and accustomed to the. 
use of tlie old-fashioned, long-bored rifle, with which 
they were armed. The only uniform with which they 
were clad was the " hnn ting-shirt," made of blue do- 
mestic jeans with a frill around the edges, and pants of 
the same ci>lor and material. But being backwoods- 
men, trained to the use of tire-arms, accustomed to 
formidable encounters with the bears and other wild 
animals witli which their native county then abounded, 
not knowing what fear was, and entertaining the opinion 
that no man was entitled to the slightest claims to mark- 
raanship who could not, on all occasions, with his rifle 
knock out the eye of a squirrel in the top of tlie tallest 
trees with which the forest abounded without touching 
his body, they did fearful execution upon the enemy. 

Upon the declaration of peace. Captain Staples re- 
turned to his native county, and was soon after elected 
a member of the general assembly, and was re-elected 
every successive year for a period of eight years. He 
was appointed on the committee to invite General La- 
Fay ette to a public dinner tendered by the legislature 
in the winter of 1824, during his memorable visit to 
the United States, the flrst he made after the close of 
the Revolutionary war. As is well known the invita- 
tion was accepted, and the legislature, in order to ren- 
der the occasion one that would not only do honor to 
the illustrious guest but reflect credit upon the Old 
Dominion, appropriated a very large amount for that 
purpose. The character of the entertainment, with all 
its surroundings, the number of illustrious men and 
lovely women who graced the occasion with their pres- 
ence, added to the exalted character of the guest, made 
it an occasion long to be remembered. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 287 

During tlie canvass in tlie succeeding spring Captain 
Staples encountered considerable opposition, growing 
out of his vote for what was regarded as an extrava- 
gant appropriation to the dinner. During the delivery 
of a speech on one occasion, in which he was justifying 
his vote upon the ground of the great services rendered 
by General LaFayette to the colonies during their pro- 
tracted struggle for independence, he was answered by 
an old hunter, leaning upon his rifle, with the remark 
that, if General LaFayette had come to his house he 
would have s^iven him a crood dinner of bacon and 
greens and jowl and turnips for twenty-five cents. In 
spite, however, of the old hunter's opposition he was 
re-elected by a very decided majority. 

During his protracted legislative career he took a 
prominent part in the debates and proceedings of that 
body, and was uniformly appointed on its most im- 
portant standing committees. 

His father liaving died in March, 1825, and a vacancy 
existing in both tlie offices of clerk of the county and 
superior courts, he was elected by tlie justices of the 
county court its clerk, and at the May term of the cir- 
cuit superior court he was appointed by Judge Fleniing 
Saunders clerk of tliat court. Having determined to 
accept these offices, he i-esigned his seat in the general 
assembly. 

Those well versed in the political history of the 
country will not fail to call to mind the fact that the 
presidential canvass of 182tt was one of intense excite- 
ment and of no ordinary bitterness. The second term 
of the administration of Mr. Monroe was about to expire 
— an administration characterized by an almost entire 
cessation of party strife, during which the tone of 



288 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

political debate was far more moderate. Few of tlie 
criminations and recriminations which had been th^ 
fashion in the past were uttered — old political animosi- 
ties were forii:otten, and it was universally characterized 
as *'the era of ojood feeling." It being well understood 
that in obe<lience to the "unwritten law" established 
by the example of (leneral Washington, Mr. Monroe, 
ha\nng filled the presidential chair for a period of 
eight years, would under no circumstances be a candi- 
date for re-election, the friends of the various aspirants 
for the presidency began to prefer the claims of their 
favorites to tliat high otHce — among whom was John 
Quincy Adams, who had been minister to the Russian 
and Prussian courts, who had been twice appointed on 
a commission, first under a proposed mediation by 
Russia, and secondly at the treaty of Ghent to settle 
terms of pea(;e with Great Britain, who was secretary 
of state under Mr. Monroe, and afterward for a num- 
ber of years a member of Congress from Massachu- 
setts; William II. Crawford, of Georgia, who had been 
appointed minister to France by Mr. Madison, and af- 
terwards secretary of the treasury under Mr. Monroe; 
Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee, who was one of the 
first representatives of that state in the lower house of 
Congress after its admission into the Union, was a 
member of the United States senate and judge of the 
supreme court of his adopted state ; Henry Clay, of 
Kentucky, who had been twice elected speaker of the 
house of representatives of the United States, was one 
of the commissioners who settled the terms of the 
treaty of peace with Great Britain at Ghent, had been 
a member of both houses of the general assembly of 
liis ado])ted state, and for many years represented that 



OLD VIRGINIA (M.KKK8. 289 

state in tlie United States senate. (V)l(>nel Staples was 
appointed one of the Adams electors, and sustained 
the claims of his candidate with all the ability lie pos- 
sessed. The result of the vote in the electoral college 
was eighty-four votes for Adams, ninety-nine for Jack- 
son, forty-one for Crawford, including Virginia, and 
thirty-seven for Clay. Neither candidate having re- 
ceived the constitutional majority, the election was (as 
is well known) thrown into the house of representa- 
tives and resulted in the final choice of Mr. Adams. 
Colonel Staples was a decided federalist in principle — a 
uniform and determined opponent of all the leading 
measures of General Jackson's administration, with the 
exception of his course in the memorable nullification 
controversy with South Carolina, which he lieartily 
endorsed. 

The approaching election for members of Congress 
began at this time to engross public attention, and he 
was warmly urged by his friends to accept a nomina- 
tion as a candidate ; but having qualified as clerk of 
the superior and county courts of Patrick, and the 
settlement of his father's large estate requiring his 
constant attention, he felt himself impelled by these 
considerations to decline. He held the clerkship of 
the two courts until the first election and appointment 
that took place after the ratification of the amended 
constitution of 1829-30, when he was unanimously 
re-elected by the county court and re-appointed by the 
judge of the superior court without opposition. From 
that time until the spring of 1844: he filled the two 
offices continuously with great acceptability, when he 
resigned that of the superior court, but continued to 
hold that of the county court until after the ratification 



290 OLD V^IRGINIA CLERKS. 

of the amended constitution of 1851-2, when, in con- 
sequence of age and bodily infirmity, lie declined a 
re-election. He was succeeded in the office of clerk of 
the circuit court by his son, Judge Samuel G. Staples, 
now temporarily residing in the city of Washington. 
Upon the deatli of his father, who had for many 
years been colonel of the regiment in his county, he 
was recommended by the county court of Patrick as 
his father's successoi-, and duly commissioned by the 
then governor of Virginia, John Floyd the elder. At 
that time, and for many years previously, the field 
offices of the militia were eagerly sought for by the 
"first families of Virginia," and as they were recom- 
mended by the county court and commissioned by the 
governor, none but men of the highest standing in the 
community were recommended. Tlie then existing 
militia system was in higli vogue with the people of 
Virginia. The field and subordinate officers, both com- 
missioned and non-commissioned, were trained for three 
days every spring, the fourth day being the greatest 
day of all, when all the militia of the county were 
required to assemble at the courthouse and a grand 
military review was hehi. " The training of the officers " 
was looked forward to by the belles and beaux of the 
country with intense interest, on which occasion they 
would assemble in great numbers and keep np a con- 
tinued scene of frollickiniij and daneino:. Tlie officers 
were required to be trained by a brigade inspector, one 
of whom was appointed by the governor for each 
designated brigade, and was required to drill tlie officers 
in military tactics. The writer of this article well re- 
members Major Leftwich, of Bedford, General David 
Rodes and Major John Norvell, of Lynchburg, as 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 291 

brigade inspectors in the district of wliicli Patrick 
formed a part. The latter, Major Nor veil, usually 
carried witli liini during his tour of inspection a noted 
fifer, " Blind Billy," who was well known about Lynch- 
burg and throughout many parts of Virginia, and any 
skillful drummer he could procure. Jle was passion- 
ately fond of military display, and as Colonel Staples, 
who had during his militar}' experience in Norfolk 
become a well-drilled officer, and had of course pro- 
vided himself with a suitable military outfit, the effect 
produced by those two officers upon the assembled 
crowd at Patrick courthouse was overwhelming. 

Few men who ever lived in that portion of Virginia 
of which Patrick county forms a part ever filled a larger 
space in the public eye than Colonel Abram Staples. 
By the uniform practice of economy, by dint of sound, 
practical sense, as well as great judgment, he succeeded 
in amassing a large fortune. Whilst one of the secrets 
of his success in the accumulation of an estate was a 
strict conformity with the old adage, which he often 
quoted, " take care of the small sums and the large 
sums will take care of themselves," yet wlien occasion 
required it his liberality in tlie use of his money for 
the promotion of the comfort and convenience of his 
family and the dispensation of charity, w^as unbounded. 
One of his marked characteristics was a kind and ap- 
preciative concern for the welfare of the people among 
whom he had been raised, and wdio had uniformly con- 
ferred upon him every office to v/hich he aspired. As 
an evidence of this trait, it may not be inappropriate 
to mention the fact that, having debts due him amount- 
ing to a veiy large sum, he took care, in framing his 
will, to provide that suits were not to be instituted on 



292 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

his bdiids until after the lapse of two years from tlio 
date of Ills death. lie had a decided literary turn of 
inind : was fond of reading and, during his legislative 
<^areer, he collected what was regarded as a good private 
library for his day, filled with standard works both his- 
torical and miscellaneous. He possessed, in the highest 
degree, the qualities of a decision of character and in- 
Jiexible ])urpose. His ambition was moderate, and the 
success he had attained in life seemed fnlly to answer 
all his expectations. ]S^o one Avas more upright or 
affectionate in his domestic relations or discharged with 
greater zest the duties of friendship and hospitality. 
His frank and cordial manner, his fondness for tlie 
society of friends, his relish for the pleasures of con- 
versation, in wdiicli he bore his part with good sense 
and well-timed anecdote, naturally attracted the strong 
regard of those with whom he w^as intimate. 

In person he w^as tall and commanding, with a stout, 
muscular frame ; form and features indicating manly 
firmness and intellectual vigor. His manners were 
easy, naturally graceful and gentlemanly, presenting 
the appearance and bearing of a man of superior mind 
and natural talents of a high order, born to lead among 
men and to command the respect of the community in 
which he dwelt. In the spring of 1S53 he w^as sud- 
denly prostrated by an attack of paralysis from which 
he never recovered. During his protracted illness of 
three years he made a pj-ofession of religion, and, after 
bearing his sufferings with great patience and Christian 
resignation, he, on the 2()th day of April, 1856, quietly 
passed away, and entered upon his etei'nal rest in the 
upper and better world. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 293 



PETERSBURG CITY. 



The clerks of the corporation or linstino-s court have 
been : 

1. John Grarnmer, from 1784 to 1835, - - 51 years. 

2. David M. Bernard, from 1835 to 1859, - 2-1 years. 

3. John C. Armistead, from 1859 to 1888, 29 years. 

CLERKS OF THE HUSTINGS COURT OF PETERSBURG, 
FROM 1781 TO 188S. 

The corporation or hustings court of Petersburg is 
noteworthy, in that its clerksliip. for the long period of 
one hundred and tJiree years and nine months, includ- 
ing the brief period of about sixteen months when 
clerks jpro tempore and military appointees filled the 
office, was held by only three persons, one of whom 
held the place for more than fifty-one years. This gen- 
tleman was John Grammer. 

As stated b}^ Rev. Phillip Slaughter in his " History 
of Bristol Parish," John Gammer, the first clerk of the 
hustings court of the city of Petersburg, was born 
August 24, 1754, at Black water. Prince George county, 
Virginia. Accordingly, when he qualified to the office 
of clerk, on the second day of September, 1784, he had 
just entered his thirty-first year. In October, 1835, 
when he died, he had reached the ripe age of eighty- 
one years, and had devoted over a half century to the 
public service. He is still well remembered I)y many 
of the old citizens of Petersburg as an eldei'ly gentle- 
man, quick in movement, small in stature, and wearing 
the knee breeches and shoe buckles of the olden time. 



294: OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

In niaiiners he was brusque and very plain spoken, but 
no one could know him, even very slightly, without hav- 
ing the highest respect for his thorough honesty and 
goodness of heart. Mr. Slaughter, in his work above 
mentioned, states that Mr. Graminer was the first post- 
master of Petersburg, and was " a pillar of the church 
in Bristol parish when it seemed tottering to its fall." 
In his political opinions he was a federalist. With the 
views of i\rr. Jefferson he had no sympath3\ 

Among his children was the well-known ^[rs. Dolly 
Walker, Dorothea Grammer, the widow of Dr. David 
Walker, of whom Mr. Slaughter in the same book says: 
" She was full of good works and ever the almoner of 
the needy. She is canonized in the hearts of all who 
knew and survive her." Another of his children was 
the Rev. John Grammer, of Halifax, the father of the 
Rev. Dr. James Grammer, of Fauquier county, Vir- 
ginia. The late Dr. Thomas Withers, of Petersburg, 
fitly designated by Mr. Slaughter as the " father of the 
fatherless" and the " widows' friend," and his brother, 
the Ilev. Edmund AVithers, were both grandsons of the 
old clerk, and several others of his descendants became 
the wives of ministers of the gospel. 

Iteferring to the old clerk and his good wife. Bishop 
Meade, in his " Old Churches and Families of Virginia," 
8ays : "Of old Mr. and Mrs. Grammer, on whom for 
a considerable time, by general consent, the very exist- 
ence of the Episcopal church in Petersburg seemed to 
liang, I need not speak, or seek for any epitaph. They 
live in the hearts of children and children's children 
yet alive, and in the memories of many others who 
revere their character and endeavor to follow their ex- 
ample. The social prayer-meetings held at their house 



OLD VIllGINIA CLERKS. 295 

when tlie old lady was unable any longer to go to the 
house of God, were refreshing seasons to ministers and 
people." 

The next and second clerk of the hnstinirs court of 
Petersburg was David Meade Bernard. The subject of 
this sketch was born on the 24th day of April, 1813, in 
the county of King George, and died on the 8th day of 
February, 1884, in the county of Orange, Yirginia. 
From September, 1828, when a lad of fifteen, he entered 
the clerk's office of Brunswick county, as the deputy 
of the elder Robert Turnbull, till October, 1859, when 
he resigned the clerkship of the corporation court of 
Petersburg, he was in the 'service of the commonwealth 
discharging the important and responsible duties at- 
taching: to tlie office of clerk of a coui't. Coming: 
directly from the clerk's office of Brunswick to that 
of Petersburg in May, 1830, he entered the latter 
office as the deputy of Mr. John Grammer, who was 
the first clerk of the hustings court of tlie town of 
Petersburg, and as such had held office since 1784, in 
which year this court was hrst established. In 1835, 
after an honorable service of more than fifty years, Mr. 
Grammer died, and his young deputy, then only twentj^- 
two years of age, was appointed his successor. Enter- 
ing upon the duties of the office after a training^ of some 
seven years, possessed, as he was, of a mind naturally 
clear and strong, and which he had been improving by 
a course of study and reading looking to his entering 
the profession of law, he soon became one of the most 
accomplished clerks in the commonwealth. In this 
connection it may be well to mention that David M. 
Bernard was descended on both sides from those who 



296 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

were clerks. His paternal c^randfatlier, Itichard Ber- 
nard, was the clerk of AVestmoreland county from 1777 
to the date of his death in 1785, whilst on his mother's 
gide he was a lineal descendant of Colonel Drurj Stith, 
the first clerk of Brunswick county. It was not, then, 
strange that he developed the capacity which, under 
liis training, made him the superior officer that he was. 

In 1852, when the first popular election for clerks 
and other officers under the constitution of 1851 was 
held, Mr. Bernard was a candidate for election to the 
office he had for so many years filled, and was elected 
without opposition. At the next election — thr.t held 
in 1858 — he was again a candidate for the office, and 
was again elected without opposition. In 1850, find- 
ing his health faihng, and desiring to carry out a long- 
■cherished desire to lead the life of a farmer, Mr. Bernard 
purchased a farm in Orange county, Virginia, resigned 
his office and removed to that county with his family. 

The proceedings in the hustings court of Petershurg 
when he tendered, and the court accepted, his resigna- 
tion as its clerk, as reported in the F cti^rshuvg Kejrress 
of Octoher 21, 1851), may he properly re])roduced here. 
Haviuii: previously mentioned the meeting of the court 
on the first day of its Octobjr term, 1851), that journal 
said : 

'• The chief business of general interest to the puhllc 
w^as the rece])tion of the resignation of D. M. Bernard, 
Es(j., who, since October, 1 8)35, has discharged the duties 
i>f clerk with an ability and satisfaction which are hest 
iittested by the long i)eriod he has filled the office — 
reaching as it does nearly a (piarter of a century. The 
resignation was couclied in terms singularly felicitous, 
iis will be seen by a copy hereto annexed; 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 29T 

^To the Justices of the Ilioatings Court of Petersburg : 

' Gentlemen : — I hereby offer yon my resi2:natiori of 
tlie clerksliip of tliis court. I ain induced to do so by 
impaired liealth and tlie partial paralysis of my riglit 
hand. 

* In takino^ leave of this court, I trust that no assur- 
ances are necessary to satisfy it of my high regard or of 
^ly grateful remembrance of the uniform kindness and 
respectful consideration which it has always manifested 
towards me. Twenty-four years have now elapsed since 
my first election, and whilst in that period I liave com- 
mitted, no doubt, many errors, and have oftentimes 
stood in need of the patience and indulgence of the 
court, it has been my good fortune during the whole 
time to hear from the bench no words of complaint, 
and only those of confidence and encouragement. The 
recollection of this will be a source of pleasure to me 
as long as I live, and I shall regard the fact as bearing 
witness, along with my own conscience, that I have 
discharged my duty to the best of my ability. 

^ With the sincerest wishes for the continued useful- 
ness of the court, and for the happiness of its mem- 
bers, as my personal friends, I remain, gentlemen, your 
obedient servant, D. M. Bernard.' 

"Alexander Donnan, Esq., offered a series of reso- 
lutions highly complimentary to the retiring officer, 
and embraced the occasion to submit a few feelins: and 
appropriate remarks in advocacy thereof, and laudatory 
of the late clerk. A. C. Butts, Esq., B. G. Pegram, Esq., 
attorney for the commonwealth, Thomas Wallace and 
John Lyon, Esqs., followed in brief but eloquent 
speeches, when the resolutions were unanimously 
adopted, ordered to be s]3read upon the minutes of the 



298 OLD VIHGIXIA CI-KKKS. 

court, piiMislied in the city papers, and a cop}' furnished 
to Mr. ]>ernard." 

The resolutions adopted were as follows : 

" At a hustings court held for the city of Petersburg, 
at the courthouse thereof, on Thursday, October 20th, 
1851)— 

*' I). M. Bernard, the clerk of this court, this day re- 
signed his said office as clerk, which was accepted, and 
thereupon the following preamble and resolutions, in 
respect to the said Bernard, were unanimously adopted 
by the court, and the bar and officers, viz. : 

" AVhereas, this court and the members of the bar 
practicing in the hustings court of the city of Peters- 
burg, Virginia, and the officers of said court have learnt 
with sorrow that David Meade Bernard has resigned 
the office as clerk of said court, having held the same 
with marked distinction to himself and satisfaction to 
this entire community since the 16th day of October, 
A. D. 1 835, and that he proposes removing to another 
section of the State, to engage in other pursuits : there- 
fore, 

^^Jtesolved, That we sineerel}' regret that the said Ber- 
nard has felt constrained, from a sense of duty to him- 
self and family, to resign the said office. 

^^Jtesolved, That in the resignation of D. M. Ber- 
nard, the court, the bar and the public have lost a wise 
counsellor and an upi-iglit officer, whose place cannot 
easily be filled. 

*'^J^esolved, That we truly believe our city has lost 
one of its best inhabitants. 

^'Iiesolved, That we tender him our grateful acknowl- 
edgments for the very many kindnesses and attentions 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 299 

which we have received at his hands as an officer and a 
man. 

''''Resolved^ That we cordially commend him to the 
esteem, affection and confidence of the people in the 
bosom of whom he proposes to make his new home. 

'"''Resolved^ That we sincerely wish him every suc- 
cess the heart of man could desire, and a happiness and 
prosperity commensurate with his deserts. 

''''Resolved^ That the foregoing be spread upon the 
minutes of our court and published in the city papers, 
and a copy furnished the said Bernard. 
''A copy — teste : 

*' E. M. Mann, Clerh, pro tern.'*'' 

The resolutions which were adopted on the occasion 
of his severing his connection with the court and its 
officers, and the contemporary newspaper notice of the 
proceedings, show the high esteem in which the subject 
of this sketch was held. At that time there were few 
men, if any, in the city so generally popular as was Mr. 
Bernard. Courteous to all, honorable and upright, his 
twenty-odd years of official life among the people of 
Petersburg had won for liim universal respect. Hav- 
ing removed to the county of Orange, lie there passed 
the remainder of his life in the quiet pursuit of a tiller 
of the soil. 

In its notice of his death, a Petersburg paper of 
February 9, 1884, (tlie IfaiV)^ said : "He resided a great 
many years in Petersburg, where he was well and widely 
known, and was greatly beloved and honored. * ^ ^ 
He was a man of singularly pure and upright charac- 
ter, honored and respected by all who knew him, and 
his death will be regretted by a large circle of friends.'* 
The local paper of his county, the Gordonsville Gazette^ 



300 ■ ' OLD \IK(ilNIA <'I.KRKS. 

in its notice of liis death, said : '' David Meade Ber- 
nard, Esq., died at liis home near Madisuu run, in tliift 
connty, last Friday night. Mr. T^ernard came to Or- 
ange from Peterslmrg in 185!), wliere f<»r many years 
lie had ])een clerk of the hnstinijs court, lie was a 
gentleman of pleasing address, of nnich intelligence, 
and of the highest character, and the death of sncli a 
man is a loss to any commnnity." 

Mr. Bernard was thi-ice married, and left surviving 
him a wife. and several children. When he passed away 
there was removed a typical Virginia gentleman, one 
of the old school, and one who may be well pointed 
to as a fair specimen of the superior material whereof 
the old clerks of this commonwealth were generally 
made. Among his children is a son bearing his name, 
the present judge of the hustings court of Petersburg. 

The next and thii'd clerk of the hustings c(jurt of 
Petersburg was John Clayton Armistead. This gen- 
tleman wlio has recently put oft" the robes of office 
after a continued service of more than thirty-eight years 
in the clerk's offices of Prince George and Petersburg 
— excepting a short period of about nine months during 
the era of reconstruction, when he was admitted to the 
bar and practiced his profession — was born in the city 
of Petersburg, Virginia, Novend)er 21, 1885. Tn Jan- 
nary, 1850, when barely fourteen years of age, he 
entered the clerk's office of Prince George connty as 
the deputy of the elder Ilobert Gilliam, the then clerk 
of the courts of the county. In August, 1854, he left 
the clerk's office of Prince George to enter the office 
of the clerk of the circuit court of Peterslmri!:, as the 
deputy of Ednnind Pendleton Gaines, then the clerk. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. )>01 

Upon the resignation of David M. Bernard, in Octo- 
ber, 1859, of tlie clerkship of the corporation court of 
Petersburg, young Armistead was elected by the peo- 
ple his successor, and continued to hold the office until 
the 4th of June, 188S, except during the period of 
reconstruction, when it was held by military appointees. 
On this day he resigned the office and turned over to 
his successor its records and papers. 

The military appointees were Benjamin S. Burch 
and Thomas L. Davis. Mr. Burch having been ap- 
pointed in December, 1868, by General Stoneman, the 
commandant of the military district of Virginia, quali- 
fied as clerk March 22, 1869, and- at the same time Mr. 
Armistead, having been removed by a military order, 
qualified as the deputy of his military successor, and 
so continued until General Canby, then the command- 
ant of the district, removed Burch and appointed Mr. 
Davis in his place. Davis qualified lEarch 22, 1869, 
and Mr. Armistead, then leaving the clerk's office, 
began the practice of laAv in the city of Petersburg, 
which he continued until April 21, 1870, when Judge 
E. M. Mann duly appointed him to the office, making 
the appointment under the act of assembly of March 
5, 1870, known as "the enabling act." 

There were few, if any, clerks in the commonwealth 
who more thoroughly nnderstood tlie details of the 
clerk's office than did Mr. xlrmistead. For many years 
his reputation has been that of an accomplished and 
efficient officer, without a superior in the state. At the 
recent election, in May, 1888, however, along with all 
of the other old officers of the city, Mr. Armistead 
was defeated and relegated to the people, with a con- 
sciousness of having left a record of duty faithfully 



302 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

performed. For several years Mr. Armistead took an 
active part in Masonic affairs, was master of Blandford 
Lodge, Xo. 3, from June, 1874, to June, 1875, was 
subsequently district deputy grand master for the ninth 
Masonic district of Virginia, and was also grand junior 
deacon of tlie grand lodge of Virginia. lie declined 
further promotion. For a short time, whilst under 
age, he held the office of clerk ^>»7*6> tempore of the cir- 
cuit court of the city of Petersburg. His appointment 
to the place by lion. John W. Nash, the presiding 
judge, was a liigh compliment in view of tlie import- 
ance of the office. 

The next and fourth clerk of the hustings court of 
Petersburg was George Mason. Tliis gentleman held 
the office of clerk of the hustings court of the city of 
Petersburg but a short time — less tlian a month. He 
was appointed on the 4th day of June, 1888, by Judge 
D. M. P)ernard, to till the unexpired term of Mr, J. C. 
Armistead, who resiojned his office on that da v. Mr. 
Mason was born July 4th, 1853, in Sussex county, Vir- 
ginia. His father was John T. J. Mason, who for 
nearly forty years was the able and popular clerk of 
the circuit court of that county. Having spent two 
years in the study of his profession at the University 
of Virginia, the subject of this sketch was admitted 
to the bar in November, 1874, in his native county. In 
1877 he removed to tlie county of Chesterfield, and 
there at once acquired a profitable practice, which he 
deservedly still holds, having subsequently, in 1883, 
removed to the city of Petersburg. IVIr. ^[ason stands 
well as a lawyer, and had he contimied in office he 
would doubtless have most worthily iilled the place so 
well iilled by his predecessors. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 303 

The next and fifth clerk of the corporation court of 
Petersburg is the present incumbent, Robert Gilliam. 
Like his immediate predecessor, this gentleman is the 
son of an old clerk, Robert Gilliam, for many years 
the clerk of the courts of Prince George county, Yir- 
ginia, and was born in that county on the 2Tth of 
January, 1847. When the late war began, the subject 
of this sketch was too young to enter the military ser- 
vice. In 1862, however, when only fifteen years of 
age, he received the appointment of messenger in the 
Confederate States treasury at Richmond. The follow- 
ing year he was promoted to a clerkship in this de- 
partment of the Confederate States government, and 
continued to hold the position till the close of the war. 
In 1 864 he saw some active military service as a mem- 
ber of the departmental battalion, organized for the 
local defence of Richmond, in this capacity partici- 
pating in the action with Dahlgren's raiders on the 
Westham plank road near that city. 

In June, 1866, young Gilliam became the deputy of 
his father, then the clerk of the circuit and county 
courts of Prince George. In 1869 General Schofield, 
the commandant of this military district, removed his 
father from ofi^ce and appointed him to fill the vacant 
clerkship. As the military appointee Mr. Gilliam held 
the oifice until, under "the enabling act" of March 5, 
1870, Hon. Peter P. Batte, judge of the county court, 
duly appointed him to fill the same. At the regular 
election held in November, 1870, he was elected over 
his republican opponent by a large majority. In 1874 
Mr. Gilliam resigned his office, came to Petersburg and 
commenced the study of law. In 1877 he was ap- 
pointed by the late Judge E. M. Mann, of the hustings 



304 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

court, to the office of liigli constable of tlie city of 
Petersburg, and held the office for aljout six montlis, 
after \vliic]i lie entered upon tlie practice of his pro- 
fession. 

In 18^4 ]\[r. GiUiani was a member of the electoral 
board of the city of Petersl)urg. In 18S6 he was 
elected to the common council of Petersburg, and w^as 
serving out a four ^^ears term when he was elected to 
his present otlice ov^er the old incumbent, Mr. John C. 
Armistead. In 18S7 he was chosen a member of the 
board of directors of the Central lunatic asj-lum. All 
of these positions of public trust Mr. Gilliam has filled 
with credit to himself and with satisfaction to the pub- 
lic. As a lawyer he stood well, enjoying the confidence 
of all with whom he dealt. That he will worthily and 
acceptably fill the office of clerk of the courts of Pe- 
tersburg, none who know him will donbt. 



CLKKKS OF CIRCUIT COURT OF PICTERSBURG. 

The first clerk of the circuit superior conrt of Peters- 
burg was AValker Crutclifield, who qualified May 16, 
1820, and held office until his death in 1823, or early 
in January, 1824. On the 23d of January, 1824, his 
successor, who was Patrick Ilendren, qualified. The 
last mentioned gentleman died in 1827, and was suc- 
ceeded by Henry Beverl}^ Gaines, who qualified August 
7, 1827, having been deputy clerk since the establish- 
ment of the court in 1820. When, b}' the act of assem- 
bly of April 16, 1831, the "circuit superior courts of 
law and chancery " w^ere established, Mr. Gaines was 
appointed and qualiiied as the first clerk of the circuit 
superior court of law and chancery for the town of 
Petersburg, and so continued until, by the code of 1840, 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 305 

"circuit courts" were establislied, wlien he was ap- 
pointed and duly qualified as the clerk of the circuit 
court of the town of Petersbu ri^^. 

"When the office became elective under the constitu- 
tion of 1851, the subject of this sketch was elected its 
first incumbent, but died in 1852, soon after his elec- 
tion. His successor in tlie office was Edmund Pendle- 
ton Gaines, his son, who qualified November 5, 1852, 
but held the office less than three years, resii^ning on 
the 25th of April, 1855. The vacant clerkship v\'as 
temporarily filled by the appointment of John C. 
Armistead, as clerk ^^w temjpore^ Mr. Armistead being 
then under age. The successor of Edmund Pendleton 
Gaines was Bartlett P. Todd, who qualified on the 12th 
day of June, 1855, and held the office until the date of 
his death in the winter of 1 8()2-3. 

The successor of Colonel Todd was Edwin Murray 
Mann. The subject of this sketch was born on the 22d 
day of April, 1840, in the old city of Williamsburg, 
Yirginia, where his father, John Mann, for many years 
the clerk of the county court of James City county, 
resided. Having previously attended school in the 
place of his nativity, and in Rockbridge county, Yir- 
ginia, in 1857, when a mere lad he came to the city of 
Petei-sburg, where each of his elder brothers, Eobert 
H. ]\Iann, John Mann and Moreau B. Mann, had, dui- 
ing the preceding ten or twelve years, served their 
apprenticeship in the clerks' offices of that city, and 
entered the clerk's office of the hustings court as deputy 
of David M. Bernard, its then clerk. Here he remained 
a couple of years. In October, 1859, ]\Ir. Bernard re- 
signed, and, such was the confidence that the court had 
in his young deputy, it gave him the appointment of 



30G OLD VTROLMA CLP:KKS. 

q\qyV pro tempcrre^ altliongli he was only nineteen years 
of W'^o. In December, 18r)9, Mr. John C. x\nnistead 
having been elected by tlie people to fill the office made 
vacant by the resignation of Mr. Bernard, joiing Ed- 
win M. ]\[ann became his depnty. In Jannarj, 1800, 
he resigned tliis position, and accepted a like position 
under Colonel Bartlett P. Tood, the clerk of tlie cir- 
cuit court of Petersburg. In the spring of 1801 Mr. 
Mann, then a non-commissioned officer in the Peters- 
burg Piilcmen, one of the crack military companies of 
the day, v/cnt into the war with all the enthusiasm of 
his yonth, and was in the military service of the Con- 
federate States as a member of this company and as 
ordinance-sergeant of the Twelfth Yii-ginia regiment 
of infantry until February, 1803, when he was ap- 
pointed clerk pro tempore of the circuit court of Pe- 
tersburg to fill the vacancy created by the death of Col. 
Todd. At an election by the people subsequently held 
he was duly elected to the office, Avhich he held until 
the spring of 1809, when he was removed from office 
by the military connnandant of the district of Virginia. 
Being out of office, Mr. Mann gave his whole attention 
to the practice of law, being now free to practice in all 
of the courts of the city, and was rising to prominence 
and success in his profession when, in April, 1870, he 
was elected by the general assembly the lirst judge of 
the corporation of Petersburg, a position he tilled with 
lienor to himself and to the satisfaction of tlie public 
for a period of more than fifteen years, until his death 
on the 3d of October, 1885. 

In its issue of October 5, 1 SS5, the Petersburg Index- 
Apjycal^ Qomvacwiing; upon his death, said : ''Among 
the judges of the commonwealth the deceased stood 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 307 

among the foremost. His opinions were always well 
considered, rendered only after the most careful inves- 
tigation. His clear and strong sense of right — of jus- 
tice — aided by a vigorous intellect, well stored with the 
learning of his profeSvsion, eminentlv fitted him for the 
judicial office, and tliere was not a judge in the country 
who wore tlie ermine with more real dignity. I^o judge 
presided on the bench witli more gi'ace of manner than 
did Judge Mann. As an evidence of the learning and 
capacity of the deceased, his record in the appellate 
court of the common wealtli is one which gives him 
title to fame. In the fifteen years that he held the office 
of corporation judge of the city of Petersburg, althongh 
his decisions were often carried to the supreme court 
of appeals for review, with, we l)e]ieve, one single ex- 
ception, they were invariably prononnced correct, and 
were affirmed." 

On the day following his death, a Sabbath, the mem- 
bers of the bar and officers of his court met in tlie court- 
room in Avhich he had so recently presided in the full 
vigor of life, and, after many feeling and eloquent trib- 
utes to his memory, adopted appropriate resolutions 
eulogistic of him. In presenting these resolutions to 
the court, Mr. Alexander Donnan, the oldest member of 
the bar, said : '' 'Tis with the sincerest sorrow that I 
present this paper to ask your honor to spread it on the 
records of this court. For about fifteen years Edwin 
M. Mann has been known to us most intimately as the 
urbane gentleman, the good citizen and the faithful, 
impartial, intelligent and independent judge of this 
-court. Great and delicate questions, involving the lib- 
erty and the life and property of the citizens, have been 
-committed to his hands, and in all these questions he 



308 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

has brought into liis decisions a clear Iiead and an hon- 
est purpose, and no man can rise up and say he has 
ever moved from the upright course or even wavered 
from the path that duty and uprightness called him to 
walk in." 

Judge Maim was one of the most geniid of men — 
one of the most agreeable of cojnpanions. Although 
upon the bench the very personihcation of judicial dig- 
nity, in the private circle he was ever ready to recount 
a humorous story or to entertain with some sparkling 
witticism. 

The successor of Judge Mann in the ofrice of clerk 
of the circuit court of Petersbiii'g was Thomas L. Davis, 
a military appointee, who held the position from the 
date of his appointment in the spring of 1SG9 until 
May 3, 1870, when Mr. John C. Armistead, the clerk 
of the liustings court of Petersburg, ex-qfjicio bccam.e 
the clerk of the circuit court. Since this date all of 
the clerks of the hustings court of this city have been 
ex-qfficio clerks of tlie circuit court. 



riTTSYLVANTA COUNTY. 



Pittsylvania was formed in 1TG7 from Halifax. Tho 
clerks have been : 

1. William Tunstall, Sr., from 1707 to 1701, 24 years. 

2. William Tunstall, Jr., from 1701 to 1830, 45 years. 

3. William II. Tunstall, from 1830 to 1852, 10 years. 

13?^"^ All accounts agree that the Tun- 
stalls were admirable clerks, respected 
and beloved by the people. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



309 



4. Langhorne Scruggs, from 1852 to 1809, 17 years. 

When he was removed by military au- 
thority, and George Payne appointed 
in liis place, hut Mr. Scruggs conducted 
the office for him until January, 1871, 
when he again took charge of tlie office, 
having been elected in Xovember, 1 870, 
and held it until July 1st, 1875, 4 years, 
declining to run for the office, which 
he could have held as long as he de- 
sired to do so. The total length of 
his service was twenty-one years. He 
also was an admirable clerk, wrote a 
good hand, was polite and courteous in 
his manner. He is now practicing law. 

5. H. P. Jones, from 1875 to 1879, - - - 4 years. 

6. William B. Shepherd, from 1879 to 1887, 8 years. 
And was re elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



JUDGE WM. M. TREDWAY S SKETCH OF WILLIAM TUNSTALL 
AND HIS SON, W^ILLIAM H. TUNSTALL. 

My first acquaintance with Mr. William Tunstallwas 
in 1830. He was then clerk of the count v court and 
circuit superior court of law and chancei*y of Pittsyl- 
vania. Although advanced in life, he personally and 
faithfully superintended the business of the offices, 
much of vv'hich was done by his son, William H. Tun- 
stall, who was deputy, and succeeded him in the office. 
In his official as in his 23rivate business, he was a model 
of fidelity and accuracy ; and no man of his daj^ com- 
manded more respect and confidence in all respects. 
He was of medium size, with a benignant, intelligent 
face ; unpretending in manners, always calm, and re- 



310 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

markable for neatness and good taste in dress. After 
the death of Mr. Tnnstall, his son, AVilliam H., was 
clerk of both courts until he removed to Mississippi. 
No county could boast of more faitlifnl, honorable and 
capable clorks. WilHam Tnnstall died in 1 838, leaving 
two sons, William H. Tnnstall and Whitmell P. Tun- 
Btall, the last of whom was the pati-on of the bill to 
incorporate the liichmond and Danville railroad, and 
its first president; another son, Thomas, died before 
his father. ITe also left two daughters, one of whom 
married Colonel George Towncs, and another married 
Samuel Tnnstall, Esq. ; still another daughter married 
Dr. Anderson, and removed to Texas. Mrs. Rives, 
widow of Dr. B, Rives, and Mrs. Rison, wife of Colo- 
nel Rison, of Danville, are the only grandchildren liv- 
ing in Pittsylvania. 



POWHATAN COUNTY. 



Powhatan was formed in 1777 from Cumberland, and 
has had a succession of skillful and useful clerks : 
1. Thomas Miller, from 1777 to 178G, - - 11 years. 
[^""According to tradition, a fine clerk 
and a fine gentleman, a lawyer by pro- 
fession, and a large land-holder, all of 
which was bequeathed to his oldest son, 
Thomas Miller, who represented the 
county many years in the house of 
deleirates. His ij-randson, Thomas ]\[. 
Miller, is the present member (188-7). 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 311 

2. Abner Cniinp, from 178G to 1802, - - 16 years. 

1^^ He was an officer of the Revolu- 
tion, (a colonel), and a member of the 
Society of the Cincinnatti, of which 
General Geoi-ge Washington was the 
iirst president. He had the reputation 
of being a good clerk ; kept the office 
at his residence, eight miles from the 
court-house. 

3. James Poindexter, from 18(32 to 1816, - 14 years. 

I^^He was the brother of Parke 
Poindexter, the old clerk of Chester- 
field county ; the beau ideal of an "old 
Virginia gentleman" in character, 
bearing and personal appearance. 

4. Wilham S. Dance, from 1816 to 1858, - 42 years. 

It^^ He had been deputy in the office 
of Parke Poindexter, clerk of Chester- 
field, and was therefore a well-trained 
clerk before he came to Powhatan. 
After James Poindexter's death in 
1816, William S. Dance was unani- 
mously elected clerk of Powhatan, and 
continued to hold the office for forty- 
two years. Under all the changes in 
our constitution during that period, 
he held the office without opposi- 
tion — being appointed by the court 
until 1851-2, and afterwards unani- 
mously elected by the people until his 
death. He filled as fully the old-fash- 
ioned standard of a perfect Virginia 
clerk, ;ind is as well worthy a " memo- 



312 OLD VIHGIMA CLEKKS. 

rial" as anj who ever held the office. 
In the first place, he was a gentleman 
of the highest style of character and 
the most spotless principles. lie was 
exact and scrnpulons in the conduct 
of his office, hut witlial courteous, ac- 
commodating and polite. He was also 
a first-class statute lawyer, always able 
to advise the court, which, in almost 
all cases, deferred to his opinions. The 
justices composing the county courts 
of that day (which had general juris- 
diction in cases both of lav/ and equity) 
were themselves, almost without excep- 
tion, men of intelligence f^nd high 
character ; and it is a matter of history 
that fewer of their decisions were re- 
versed by the court of appeals than of 
the circuit superior courts of law and 
chancery. Tliese justices relied a good 
deal upon the advice of such clerks as 
William S. Dance. 

5. Dr. Powhatan S. Dance, from 1S58 to 

1859, 1 year. 

1^^ He was appointed to till out the 
term of his father, AVilliam S. Dance, 
and was succeeded by 

6. Major R. F. Graves, from 1859 to 1805, 6 years. 

|^^° He had been trained as deputy in 
the office of William S. Dance, and 
was worthy of such a preceptor. He 
continued to hold the office until re- 
moved by militaiy authority in 1SG5. 



<)M> VIFi(iINIA (M.F.KKS, 313 

He was succeeded by two yarikee carpet- 
baggers, named Maddox, fatlier and 
son — men without character or qualifi- 
cations, and whose names would not be 
include<l in this list of\ worth j and 
lionored clerks of Powhatan except 
to preserve the historical connection. 
They w^ere succeeded, after the adop- 
tion of the new constitution, by 

7. Dr. A. S. Mayo, from 1871 to 1886, - - 15 years. 

8. Willis B. Smith, from 1886 to 1887, - - 1 year. 

1^^ A grandson of William S. Dance, 
and appointed jpro tempore to fill out 
A. S. Mayo"*s unexpired term. 



^^i^:::. 




PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY. 



Prince Edward was formed from Amelia in 1753. 
The clerks have been : 

1. John Le Neve, from 1754 to 1783, - - 29 years. 

2. Francis Watkins,* from 1783 to 1816, - 33 years. 

* Francis Watkins, besides being noted in his day for his intelligence 
and skill as a clerk, was distinguished in his descendants; his son, 
Henry E. Watkins, holding a high rank as a inan of ability; and who 
represented the county of Prince Edward in the legislature of Virginia 
for many years. His grandson, the late Francis N. Watkins, was also 
a man of the highest character. He, too, represented the county in the 
legislature ; was, at the time of his death in 1885, and had been for many 
years, secretary and treasurer of Union Theological Seminary; was 
also at one time judge of the county court of Prince Edward, and presi- 
dent of the Commercial Bank of Farmville, besides filling other places 
of trust and honor, the duties of all which he discharged with ability 
and general acceptance. 



314 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

3. Branch J. Worshaiii, from 1816 to 1869, 53 years. 

1^^^ See sketch of him below, and 
autograph — his last official act. 

4. Joseph Jorgerson, from 1869 to 1870, - 1 year, 

5. H. E. Hooper, from 1870 to 1887, - - 17 years. 

BRANCH JONES WORSHAM. 

We have here the name of one of the most illustri- 
ous of Prince Edward's sons. lie did not excite the 
huzzahs of the multitude or dazzle the world with rhe- 
torical brilliancy, but in the quiet walks of every-day 
life he impressed hijnself as decidedly upon the day in 
which he lived as did any man it has been our privilege 
to know. Mr, Worsham was born on the 18tli of De- 
cember, 1788, and died on the 26th of May, 1873. As 
far back as 1802 he commenced to write in the clerk's 
office of Prince Edward county, and was engaged in 
preparing blank forms for use in the office. In April, 
1803 he recorded his first deed in said office, and in 
December, 1805, he entered for the first time the county 
court orders, and in April, 1806, he recorded the orders 
of the district court. During the month of April, 1809, 
he was sworn in as deputy clerk of the circuit court, 
and in September of the same year he was appointed 
clerk j[)ro tern. In February, 1810, he took the oath 
of deputy clerk of the county court, and in September, 
1816, he qualified as clerk of the circuit court, and in 
August of 1825 he also qualified as clerk of the county 
court. To these positions he was regularly returned by 
his fellow-citizens, as his acknowledged efficiency as 
clerk removed him far above the wild waste of the 
waves of the political sea, no matter how much moved 
by party passion or stirred by party prejudice. That 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 315 

which the political wave could liot reach, the war wave 
at one touch destroyed, and, on the 26th of January, 
1869, Mr. Worsham was deprived of his office by au- 
thority of the military. Mr. Worsham was also a mem- 
ber of the convention of 1850, which met in the city 
of Richmond on the 14tli of October, 1850, and adopted 
a new constitution for the State of Virginia on the 1st 
of August, 1851, which was ratified by the people on 
the fourth Thursday of October following, and went 
into effect in January, 1852. "With this exception, he 
never asked of or received from his fellow-citizens any 
other jDublic pffice save that of clerk. As far back as 
memory goes, the dignified bearing, the classic and 
cleanly shaved face, the well dressed person, the quiet 
yet impressive manner of Mr. Worsham are most viv- 
idly recalled by us. As a child we feared him, but as 
a man we greatly respected him. When we first knew 
him he resided on his farm, some two and a half miles 
west of Prince Edward Courthouse, now called Wor- 
sham, after the subject of this sketch, and his habit was 
to ride in to his office every morning, and give to it 
not eight hours but a full day's work, for he brought 
his dinner with him and ate it cold. That office was a 
model of neatness and of correctness, and Mr. Wor- 
sham loved it as he did few other things in this world, 
and guarded its every paper with unwearying care. His 
methods were rigorously exacting, and his habits of 
life were governed by laws as unvarying as were those 
of the Modes and Persians. His convictions were 
strong and his opinions firm and fixed. His knowledge 
of the statute law of Virginia was as accurate as that 
of any of the lawyers of his day, and his judgment as 
reliable and his opinion as valuable. He was conspicu- 



316 Of J) VlK<iINrA (M.KKKS. 

ous among that very conspicuous class of \^irginia gen- 
tlemen, tlie clerks of our courts. His farm exhibited 
the results of that thoughtful and careful attention 
which had been given to his office, and his hoiTie was 
the seat of a liberal and refined hosj)itality. We re- 
member being there (juite often as a boy, and never did 
old Father Time go by on fleeter wing or furnish finer 
fun than when there "Josh'' j)layed the fiddle and 
our valued friend, "Ned" Price, directed the dance. 
Oh! for one more of just such an evening! The la- 
mented Judge Watkins wrote these words on the 20th 
of JMay, 187o : " Those old clerks were high-toned gen- 
tleiiien, who e:ave digrnitv to their office and who were 
looked uj) to by the people with moi-e than ordinary 
respect, ^^r. Woi'sham's personal integi-ity was equal 
to his official fidelity. He leaves a good name without 
one blot or stain. If, as we learn from that Book to 
wlii(;h we are accustomed to look for all wisdom, that 
a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, 
then his descendants have an inheritance of peculiar 
Talue." 

r 

l^^'Tlie following is a co])y of the original, now in 
my possession, of the last official act of Mr. AV^orsham 
when he was called on by the miliary appointee to turn 
-over thr ofiice to liiui and iKdivcr n[) the reccu'ds and 
papers. Those who liav^' read the foregoing account 
of the old ck'rk — the jealous care with which, for 
fifty-three years, he had watched over and kept in per- 
fect order the ])apers an<l records of his office — can well 
understa!i<l :iih1 appreciate the intense fi'cling of mor- 




OLD VIRGINIA CLEKK8. 317 

tification, not to say disgust, with which he surrendered 
his office and its vahied records upon the order of a 
military commander, and in what temper of mind he 
wrote as follows, on his county court memorandum 
book : ^'1869, Jan'y 26th, 4 o'clock in the evening, rec'd 
orders removing me from office as clerk, and I cease 
forthwith to do any official business. — B. J. Worsham." 
The scene has been described by those who witnessed 
it as highly interesting, not to say exciting. 

1^^ This may be as appropriate a place as any other 
to remark that these days — the early part of January, 
1869, when Virginia became Military District No. 1 — 
were perhaps the darkest days of the period of recon- 
struction ,' not the least of our humiliations consisting 
in the sudden removal, by bayonet force, of more than 
one hundred trained clerks all over the State, almost 
without exception men of the highest character for 
honesty, intelligence and skill ; their places being filled 
in most cases by men who were not only utterly incom- 
petent, but of the most worthless character in every 
way. At one time I thouglit of leaving them all out, 
but afterwards decided that it would be best to keep up 
the regular succession of clerks down to the present 
time, which could only be done by perpetuating the evil 
memory of these men. 



PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY. 



Prince George was formed in 1702 from Charles 
City. The only information I have been able to obtain 
as to the former clerks of Prince George is contained 



318 OLD VIR(;INIA CLERKS. 

ill a letter from Charles Coiner, the present clerk, who 
states that " nearly all the records of tlie office were 
destroyed by tlie federal troops during the war. There 
are two old books, or ratlier parts of them, from which 
we learn that William Hamlin was clerk prior to 1714, 
and to an unknown date ; and that Peter Williams was 
clerk some time prior to 1784, and to an unknown 
date." Besides the foregoing, I have received a letter 
from Mr. William II. Batte, a ijeDtleman now livino: 
in Bicljmond, who was formerly deputy of his uncle, 
Robert Gilliam, clerk from 1834 to 185S. This letter 
was in reply to my notice in the liichmond DlsixdcJi 
of Xovember 12tli, 188G, requesting information about 
the old clerks, from which letter I make the foUowino^ 
extract : 

"About the year 1822 Mr. Kathaniel B. Sturdivant 
was elected clerk of Prince George county by the jus- 
tices, wdio in that day were men of the highest stand- 
ing and character. He continued in office until his 
death in 1834-5, when my uncle, Pobert Gilliam, was 
elected as his successor, and he held the office until 
1857 or 1S58, when he resigned, and Mr. Henry Par- 
ham succeeded him ; and he, in turn, was succeeded by 
Mr. John D. Matthews, who continued in office until 
the county was occupied by federal troops in the late 
war, who destroyed all the records. After the war, 
my uncle, Pobert Gilliam, was recalled to his native 
county to the position of clerk, and continued in office 
until he was succeeded by a ]\Ir. Lane, who was a re- 
publican, there being a large majority of republicans 
in the county. He afterwards resigned, and my uncle's 
son Bobert was appointed by the judge, and continued 
by his son Bobert l^eing appointed, who after a few 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 319 

years, about 1873, resigned and removed to Petersburg 
to practice law. I was deputy clerk for my uncle 
Itobert from 1S3T to 18^16, when I moved to Peters- 
burg, and have been engaged in writing ever since ; 
was teller of the old Virginia Bank for several years, 
and have, since 1865, occupied positions of the same 
kind here and in ' Petersburg. I recall with pleasure 
the good old times when my venerable uncle occupied 
the position of clerk of Prince George. He enjoyed 
the respect and confidence of all ; often referred to the 
palmy days of old Virginia, and of the pleasure it gave 
him to meet with old friends and kindred, and especially 
of the old clerks, amongst wdiom he had a wide ac- 
cjuaintance ; also of the judges and lawyers of those 
days.'- 

Following the order of the names above mentioned, 
the following is an approximately correct list of names 
and dates of service : 

1. William Hamlin, from 1702 to , years. 

2. Peter Williams, from 1781 to , years. 

3. :N'athaniel B. Sturdivant, from 1822 to 

1834, .--.-- 12 years. 

1. Robert Gilliam, from 1831 to 1858, - - 21 years. 

5. Henry Parham, from 1858 to 1861, - - 6 years. 

6. John D. Matthews, from 1861 to 1865, - 1 year. 

7. Robert Gilliam, from 1865 to 1870, - - 5 years. 

8. Lane, from 1870 to 1871, - - - 1 year. 

9. Robert Gilliam, Jr., from 1871 to 1873, 2 years. 
10. Charles Comer, from 1873 to 1887, - - 11 vears. 



320 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKBK8. 



PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY. 



Prince William was formed in 1730 from 
and King George. The clerks have been : 

Of the County Court. 

1. Catesby Cocke, from 1731 to 1749, - - 

2. Peter Wagoner, from 1749 to 1768, - - 

3. John Graham, from 1768 to 1778, - - 

4. Eobert Graham, from 1778 to 1797, - 

5. John Williams, from 1797 to 1813, . - - 

6. Philip Dawe, from 1813 to 1832, - - 

7. Philip D. Lipscomb, from 1832 to 1854, 

8. M. P>. Sinclair, from 1854 to 1866, - - 

9. John C. Poor (military appointee), 1869, 

10. L. C. Osmann, from 1870 to 1871, - - 

11. L. A. Davis, from 1871 to 1887, - - - 

12. Edwin Nelson, from May 21, 1887. 

Of the Circuit Court. 

1. H. Prookc, from 1789 to 1793, - - - 

2. G. Brooke, from 1793 to 1805, - - - 

3. J. Brown, from 1805 to 1838, - - - - 

4. J. II. Keid, from 1838 to 1845, - - - 
6. P. D. Lipscomb, from 1845 to 1853, - 

6. Wm. II. Norvill, from 1853 to 1857, - 

7. Milton Fitzhngh, from 1857 to 1865, - 

8. John Camper, from 1865 to 1869, - - 

9. John C. l*oor (military appointee), from 

1869 to 1870, 

. 10. L. C. Osmann, from 1870 to 1871, - - 
n. L. A. Davis, from 1871 to 1887, - - - 
12. Edwin Nels(ni, from May, 1887. 



Stafford 



16 years. 

17 years. 
10 years. 
19 years. 
16 years. 
19 years. 
22 years. 
12 years. 

1 year. 

1 year. 

16 years. 



4 years. 
12 years. 
33 years. 

7 years. 

8 years. 
4 years. 
8 years. 
4 years. 



1 year. 

1 year. 

16 years. 



OI.l) VTRarmA 0LKRK8. 1^21 

PRLNOESS ANNE COUNTY. 



Princetss Anne was formed in 161)1 from JN'orfolk 
county. The clerks have been : 

1. Patrick Ani>:ns, from 1691 to 1700, - - () years. 

2. CI instopher Cocke, from 1700 to 1716, - 16 years. 

3. Charles Saver, from 1716 to 1740, - - 24 years. 

4. Arthur Sayer, from 1740 to 1761, - - 21 years. 

5. Eobert Ballard, from 1761 to 1770, - - 9 years. 

6. George savage, from 1770 to 1771, - - 1 year. 

7. E. H. Moseley, from 1771 to 1814, - - 43 years. 

8. William T. Nimmo, from 1814 to 1821, 7 years. 

9. John J. Burroughs, from 1821 to 1869, 48 years. 

10. Jaines E. Strawhand, from 1869 to 1871, 2 years. 

11. Jay D. Edwards, from 1871 to 1875, - 4 years. 

12. John J. Woodhouse, from July, 1875 to 

October, 1875, (died), ------ 3 rnos. 

13. James E. Strawhand, from 1875 to 1884, 9 years. 

14. John J. Woodhouse, from 1884 to 1887, 3 years. 

And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years.*^ 

1^^ On pages 436-37 of Howe's Historical Sketches 
of Virginia, we find a record of the trial of Grace Sher- 
wood for witchcraft in the year 1 705, Mdiich is very 
curious on several accounts, (1) as showing the state of 
society at that time, and that persecution for ^vitchcraft 
was not confined alone to the Puritans of ]S^ew England, 
as supposed by many of the present day. It will be 
recollected that the accused had only to declare them- 
selves guilty and their lives were spared. Grace Sher- 
wood met a milder fate. The place where she was 
d'iiclied h an inlet making from Lynnhaven bay, which 



322 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

is called to this day " Witch's Duck." (2) The old and 
rather quaint form of English^ in which the court re- 
cords of that day were entered, of wliich the followirig 
is a specimen : 

" Princess Anne s. s. At a court held ye 3d of Jaii'y, 
1705-6, present Gent : Mr. Beiio : Burrs, Collo. Moseley, 
Mr. John Cownick, Capt. Hancock, Capt. Chapman — 
Justices. Whereas, Luke Hill and uxoi* som'd Grace 
Sherwood to this court in susjpition of witchcraft, and 
she fayling to apear, it is therefore order yt attachment 
to ye sherr : do Issue to attach her body to ans'r ye sd : 
som : next court." 

It further ajDpears from the record that a jury of 
twelve weamen rendered the following verdict : " AYe, 
of ye jury have searcht Grace Sherwood, and have 
found two things like titts^ with several other spotts." 
Upon this verdict, and some other ])roof, she was con- 
demned to be duclted^ which the justices adjourned the 
court to witness. 

SKETCH OF JOHN J. BURROUGHS. 

John J. Burroughs was born in the county of Mid- 
dlesex in October, 1798 ; about 1808 his father removed 
to the city of Norfolk. He entered the clerk's office of 
the hustings court of the city of Xorfolk in 1815, and 
on the 25th of February, 1817, he qualified as deputy 
of Colonel William Sharp, who was at that time clerk 
of that court. On the ('»th of September, 1819, he 
qualified as the deputy of William T. Kimmo, the 
clerk of the county court of Princess Anne. Upon 
the death of Mr. Nimmo he was, on the 5th day of 
November, 1821, elected clerk of that court and the 
circuit court of that county. He was re-elected at the 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 323 

end of each term by the justices of tlie county court 
until tlie adoption of the constitution of 1850-51. 

At tlie first election by the people he was elected as 
clerk of the county court, but not of the circuit court; 
at the second election he was elected clerk of both 
courts, and was re-elected at each successive time to 
both offices. He remained in office, as clerk of both 
courts, until he w^as removed by the order of General 
Canby, military governor of District 'No. 1, in May, 
1869. 

After the abolition of the old district chancery court 
in 1831, when equity powers were conferred upon the 
circuit courts and the county courts, he was appointed 
a commissioner in chancery of the county court and 
also of the circuit court. He continued to hold and 
perform the duties of these offices until he was disquali- 
iied by the passage of the fourteenth amendment to 
the constitution of the United States. 

As a clerk he was a good penman; wrote rapidly ; 
his records were the perfection of neatness — no sand or 
steel pens were ever allowed to touch the records ; the 
goose-quill and the old red blotter were used. The 
common law^ orders were all drafted by him ; he usu- 
ally followed the forms of Jolin Hobinson, clerk of the 
superior court of Henrico, edited by Conway Eobinson, 
then deputy clerk of that court, (1826), adapting them 
to the changes made in the laws after that date. These 
orders were succinct, clear, and fully expressed the law 
on the subject of the entry ; they were put upon the 
order-book in open court, at once ; they were not drawn 
off and then copied. However large the amount of 
business done, the orders were always ready for the sig- 
nature of the judge or presiding justice the next morn- 



324 OM> VIK(;IMA CLKKKP. 

ing, and it was a coininon tlnui; for t])e records to cover 
ten or twelve pages of the lai-ge record books. 

After the adojition of tlie code of 1850, there were 
many changes in the statnte law which required corres- 
ponding changes in the law orders. He took up the 
code of ISiU, and went throngli it systematically, mak- 
ing all the changes re(]uired. especially in reference to 
the attachments law. ITc was m^t satisfied with the 
orders; he thonght they were too long; so he went to 
Norfolk city and ]*ortsnionth and consulted his brother 
clerks, John Williams, of Norfolk city, and Arthur 
Emmerson, of Poi-tsmonth ; he found that they too had 
prepared orders on tlu- sanu* subject, but they v\'ere 
longer than his own. 

lie regarded all the j>aj>ei's in the office as in his cus- 
tody, and, with the exception of deed and will-books, 
110 one was permitted to take tluMu from the shelves 
but himself or a deputy. When. a couiT adjourned, 
immediately the fees for the work done wei-c charged up, 
all executions issued, and a mcnioi'andnui put on the 
margin of tlie <>rdci--b(»(»k coni'sponding with the fee- 
book ; nothing could induce Idiu to leave hi.- otlice until 
this work was completed. 

During the late war the recoiiU of the clei-k's otlice 
were taken by the fedei-al troo])s. lie requested the 
captain in charge of the soldiei-s to give him a receipt 
for the papers; he drew a })aper, specifying each book 
and pa])er taken, and showing under what orders the 
seizure was niade, which the officer signed. 

In all matters of public concern affecting the inter- 
est of his county he was consulted and advised with ; 
and he was often called upon to settle the differences and 
adjust the rights of parties to property. He was a man 



<)1.I> VIRGINIA CLERK8. 825 

of lovely disposition, to whom almost every one was 
attached by his kindness of heart and liis courteous and 
gentle manners ; lirm and uncompromising on all ques- 
tions of principle, he was yet modest as a woman and 
affectionate as a child ; full of sympathy for the suffer- 
ing and distressed, he was always ready to lend a help- 
ing hand to those in need. His religious convictions 
were strong, and lie let nothing interfere with the habit 
of bringing his family together night and morning for 
family worship. His house was proverbial for hospi- 
tality, and, during the session of the courts, it was usu- 
ally the headquarters of counsel fi-om the neighboring 
cities. 

After half a century of faithful public service, he 
died in February, 1872, loved and honored by all who 
knew him. 

1^^ It was by J. J. Burroughs, who was clerk of 
Princess Anne in 1832, that the singular ''^Record of 
the Trial of Grace Sherwood^ in 1705^ for WitcJi- 
cif'aft^^ was ])repared for the late J. P. Gushing, presi- 
dent of Hampden Sidney college, who presented it to 
the Yirginia Historical Society, and is published in their 
collections. It may also be found in Howe's Historical 
Collections of Virgrinia" on Princess Anne county. 

F. J. 



326 CfJ) VIIi(;lNIA CMiKKS. 

PULASKI COUNTY 



Pulaski was formed in ISoO from ^r<)nt!i:<Miiery and 
Wjthe. The clerks liave been : 

1. AVilliam B. Charlton, from 18oU to l8J-f>. T years. 

2. Lynch A. Cnri'in, froDi IS-ifl to 1804, - 18 years, 

3. John 1>. Baskerville, from 1804- to 18<>T, 3 years. 

4. J. 11. Larew, [pt'o tem.), from January, 

18t)7, to JVlay, 18fM, ------ 4 mos. 

5. D. S. Pollock, from 18()7 to 18<»9, - - 2 years. 
0. AVilliam IT. Davis, fn.m Fe])niary, 1809, 

to ]\ray, 1870. 15 mos. 

7. Robert 1). Gardner, from lS7o to 1887, 17 years. 
And re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



RAPPAHANXOCiv COUNTY. 

Pappahannock was foi-nuMl in 18pJ^from Culpeper. 
The clerks have been : N ^.j^-":^^ 

1. William J. Menifee, from 1832 to 18.58, 2() years. 

I^"" lie had been trained as deputy 
clerk in the clerk's office of Culpeper, 
and being a man of line business habits, 
made an able, e.xact and efficient clerk. 

2. Benjamin F. Peyton, from 1858 to 1859, 1 year. 

3. Pobert ]M. Peterick, from 1859 to 18r.l>, 

ten years, when he was removed by 
military authority, but continued to act 
for the clerk j[?;'o te/nipore^ as his deputy, 
until 1871, two years, when he was 
elected clerk, and continued such until 
1881, ten years, -------- 22 years. 

4. Edward C. Keterick. from 1881 to 1887, years. 



or.i) viK(riNi.v or.EKKs. 327 

RICHMOND COUNTY. 



Kicliinoiid was funned in 1692, when ''Old Rappa- 
hannock " was extinguislied and Richmond and Essex 
were formed from it. Tlie clerks have been : 

1. William Colston, fi-om 1692 to 1701. - 9 years. 

2. James Sherlock, from 1701 to 1708, - - 7 years. 

3. *Sir Marmadnke Beck with, from 1708 to 

1 748, ----------- 40 years. 

4. T. Tarpley, from 1748 to 1771, - - - 23 years. 

5. Leroy Peacliey, from 1771 to 1793, - - 22 years. 

6. Bartholomew McCarty, from 1793 to 

1811, ---- -18 years. 

7. George Saunders, from 1811 to 1815, - 4 years. 

8. Bartholomew McCarty, from 1815 to 

1820, ----------_ 5 years. 

9. George Sannders, from 1820 to 1838, - 18 years. 
10. Jc»hn F. B. Jeffries, from 1838 to 1848, 10 years. 

I^^Born in Essex connty July 10, 
1798; died May 17, 1848. ' 

11. Isaac S. Jeffries, from 1848 to 1859, - 1 year. 

1^" Born January 29, 1817; died 
October 24, 1849. 

12. F. ^Y. Pendleton, 1849 to 1865, - - - 18 years. 

13. L. I). Warner, from 1865 to 1887. - - 22 years. 



^3^>^>^^z.ey2.^^ 




* ltwa& Sir Mannaduke Beckicifh's estate which was the subject of 
division in the case of "Beckwith vs. Butler," 1st Washington's Re- 
ports, page 2*26— the reading case in Virginia on the subject of interest on 
advanceinents. 



328 OLD VIRGINIA CLKRKS. 



RICHMOND CITY. 



The clerks of the liustings or corporation court have 
been : 

1. Adam Craig, from 1782 to 1805, - - - 23 years. 

2. ThomaR C. Howard, from 1805 to 1834, 29 years. 

3. 'N. P. Howard, from 1834 to 1830, - - 2 years. 

4. Charles Howard, from 1836 to 1854, - 18 years. 

5. Ilobert Howard, from 1854 to 1868, - - 14 years. 

6. Andrew Washburn, (military appointee), 

from 1808 to 1870, ------ 2 years. 

7. Andrew Jenkins, from 1870 to 1883, - 13 years. 

8. William P. Lawton, from 1883 to 1888, 5 years. 

Pe-elected in May, 1888. 
The clerks of the circuit court liave been : 

1. John Pobinson, clerk of district court 
from 1707 to 1809, twelve years ; of 
circuit court from 1809 to 1850, forty- 
one years, - - - - 53 years. 

^ 2. Eustace Pobiiisoii, from 1841 to 1858, - 17 years. 

3. James Ellett. from 1858 to 1862, - - - 4 years. 
/ 4. I'enjamin Pollard, from 1862 to 1860, - 4 years. 

5. L. Edwin Dudley, (military a})pointee), 

to 1868, ---------- 2 yeftrs. 

(1. Thomas S. Adkins, (military appointee), 

to 1869, ---------- 1 year. 

7. Alfred Shield, from 1869 to 1887, - - 18 years. 



Pty^^tr€^,s^,r^ct 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 329 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOHN ROBINSON. 
BY HIS GRANDSON, LEIGH ROBINSON, OF WASHINGTON, D. C. 

John Eobinson was born February 13tli, 1773. In 
September, 1788 he went in the stage to Eichmond to 
be there in the office of Mr. Adam Craig, clerk of the 
county and hustings courts. He boarded in Mr. Craig's 
family, and assisted him for several years, and be- 
came competent to perform the duties of clerk. Af- 
terwards he was an assistant of Mr. John Brown the 
clerk of the district court at Eichmond, and succeeded 
Mr. Brown as clerk of that court, in or about 1797, 
when Mr. Brown went as secretary to Jolm Marshall 
and others ministers from the United States to the 
French republic. John Eobinson acted as clerk of the 
district court until 1809, when it was abolished and 
succeeded by a circuit court for each of the counties of 
Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield, Goocliland and Pow- 
hatan. Though for a time clerk of the committee for 
courts of justice of the house of delegates of Virginia, 
as well as clerk of the circuit court of Henrico, yet his 
income was noAV much smaller than when he was clerk 
of the district court. About 1812 he arranged to have 
a competent deputy to perform the duties and receive 
the income of the clerkship of the circuit court, and 
went into co-partnership with his wife's brother (Mr. 
William Moncure) and Mr. Frederick Pleasants. That 
co-partnership having ceased in 1826, he resumed his 
clerkship in tlie spring of 1827, and acted as clerk of 
a circuit court at Eichmond from that time until his 
death. He had been married, on Monday, February 
9th, 1801, to Agnes Conway Moncure. Jolm Eobin- 
son joined the militia on May 9tli, 1793, and was 
appointed lieutenant of the first battalion, ]S'ineteenth 



330 OLD VJKGfNIA CLKRKS. 

regiment of Virginia, on April l-itli, 179-1-. He died 
in the year 1850, and liis wife, Agnes Conway Kobin- 
son, died on tlie lotli of November, 1862, at Poplar 
.Yale, the residence of her daughter, Anna Jane, in the 
eighty-second year of her age. 

IJ^^ In sending me the foregoing sketch of his 
grandfather, ^Ir. Leigh Robinson accompanies it with 
the following statement, which is deemed worthy of 
publication, as illustrating two things — first the charac- 
ter of John Robinson for being willing to furnish from 
his office valuable information to others without fee or 
reward, which was also true of many other old clerks; 
second, that such favors done to others are often (as in 
this case) the means of obtaining benefits of the greatest 
value, and the more so that they come in an unexpected 
manner. F. J. 

" My uncle, Mr. Moncure Robinson, has mentioned to 
me that, upon the occasion of a visit by him to P]din- 
burg, as a young man, in midsummer, when every one 
of prominence among those to whom he had letters of 
introduction was absent, he found himself in that beau- 
tiful and interesting city without ac(piaintances, or 
would have done so but for a letter sent him by a very 
])lain Scotchman then residinei; in America. This gen- 
tleman, hearing from his father (my grandfather) that 
his eldest son was abroad, wrote to my uncle, that my 
gi-andfather would accept of no compensation for very 
valiffible information rendered by liiin and found, in the 
records of his oiHce, 'u\ regard to lands in AV^estern 
Virginia, in which he (the writer) and his brotlier were 
interested ; and that his brother, unlike himself, (though 
only a clerk of the signet), was well known in Edin- 
burtr, and would, he knew, take !»-reat pleasui'e in intro- 



or J) VI KG IN FA CLKKKS. 381 

ducing mv uncle to his friends tliere, many of whom 
held high positions. My uncle left the letter, with his 
address, and was called upon at his hotel, the same day, 
by the brother, and accepted an invitation to dine with 
him on the following dny, when he had the pleasure of 
meeting at his house some of the most distinguished 
men of Scotland, and among them the i*enowned civil 
engineer, Stevenson, the intimate friend of Sir Walter 
Scott.and at whose house he breakfasted and dined during 
his stay witli the most prominent peo])le of the place." 




19^^ The first edition of John llobinson's Book 
of Forms was published in 1T9S when lie was clerk 
of the superior coui't of law for the city of Rich- 
mond. His son, Conway liobiusou, who was deputy 
under his father, published a second edition, much en- 
larged and improved, in the year 1826. These two 
volumes have been of inestimable value to clerks of 
courts. In 1S4-0 Conway Robinson published his Book 
of Forms, in connection with his Practice j and these 
were esteemed of the highest value and authority for 
lawyers, but his Book of Forms of 1826 was much 
more useful to clerks. This being out of print, and 
many of the forms having become anticpiated and use- 
less, on account of the many changes in the laws, the 
compiler of this volume of "Memorials" has prepared 
and will issue from the press at the same time "A Xew 
and Complete Book of Forms," intended as a guide to 
clerks of courts and as an aid to lawyers, which he flat- 
ters himself will fuUv meet a much needed want. It 



882 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

J8 an interesting fact connected with John Robinson 
that Henry Clay was, in his early youth, a deputy in 
his office. 

BENJAMIN POLLARD, LATE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT 
OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND. 

The following, which is copied from an editorial note 
in the Law Journal of 1880, page 381, is such a liand- 
some tribute to one of the old Virginia clerks, and so 
well expresses my idea of the high and honorable posi- 
tion in which this class of useful public officers has 
heretofore been held, that I make no apology to the 
editor for using it in connection with this volume of 
*' Memorials of Old Virginia Clerks." F. J. 

" The body of men which once filled the offices of 
clerks of courts in Virginia have left as decided impres- 
sions upon the history and traditions of the State as 
any otlier class that have lived in it. They exerted 
possibly more influence than any other men in the com- 
munities and times in which thc}^ lived, and their influ- 
ence was always for good. They were the general 
advisers of the people ; their advice was generally fol- 
lowed, and in nine cases out of ten it was good, whether 
viewed from a financial, moral or legal standpoint. The 
race of these valuable members of society, which gave 
it a tone peculiar to Virginia, has almost become ex- 
tinct, but those who remember them still love to dwell 
on the characters of such men, who were universally 
regarded as having been the most exemplary that any 
people were ever blessed with. One of them, and a 
representative of his class, has left us since our last 
issue. We refer to Benjamin Pollard^ for several 
years clerk of the circuit court of the city of llichmond. 



OLD VfROINIA CLERKS. 333 

He was a real Virginian ; a man of excellent sense ; 
an admirable clerk, and the very soul of truth and in- 
tegrity. I lis father, and kinsmen of the same name, 
were clerks of tlie courts of Hanover, King: William. 
King and Queen and Xortliami)ton for several genera- 
tions; and the name of Pollard was always associated 
in Virginia with those offices and with those institutions 
that w^e now tliink of only with reverence and affection, 
and regret so much that they can never be restored. 
There seems to be nothing in the times in which we 
live favorable to the development of such men, and 
it is to be feared ' we Tie'ei* shall look u])on their like 
ajrain.' '' 



ROANOKE COUNTY. 



Roanoke was formed from Botetourt in 1838. The 
clerks have l)een : 

1. Frederick Johnston, (circuit court), from 

1838 to 1865, ------- -27 years. 

1^^ He succeeded William M. Cook, 
who was the first clerk of the county 
court, from 1838 to 1846, and F. John- 
ston was then clerk of the county and 
circuit courts to 1865 — nineteen years. 

2. William McCauley, (county and circuit 

courts), from 1865 to 1887, - - - - 22 years. 

3. Pat H. McCaul, elected in May, 1887 for 

six years. 




3J^»4 <>I.1> VIWdl.MA ( I.KKKS. 

ArTOIJKXrRAl'llKAI. SKKICII «)F FRKDEKICK .JOHNSTON. 

As several of the skctclit's of the old clei'ks have 
been furnished by themselves, I hope it will not be con- 
sidered indelicate or ini])roper in nie to say soinetln'ng 
about myself and my ancestry. 

Peter Johmntcni, my grandfather, eame from Edin- 
burg, in Scotland, to America about the year 1780. 
He was of that ancient border elan celebrated by Sir 
Walter Scott in tbe lines — 

" On an the banks of Anuandale 
The gentle Johnstones ride; 
They have been there a thousand years, 
And shaU a thousand bide." 

General Joseph E. Johnston, my cousin, in the year 
18f>7, paid a visit to the liome of our ancestors, in the 
valley of Annandale, and found the Laird of Pomfrey 
Glen to be the head of the clan JoJmsfone. as the name 
lias always been spelt in Scotland. 

( )n tirst comins: to America, Peter Johnston iirst set- 
tied on James river, near City l\)int, where he was 
succ^ssfnlly engaged in the mei-eantile business for many 
.years, and afterwards settled in the coAinty of Prince 
Edward, and built a tine residence and owned a family 
8eat called Longwood, after his ancestral home. It has 
passed through several hands since that time, but still 
retains the (»ld name, and is immediately on the road 
leadingfrom Farmville to llaiiii>den Sidney college, the 
land on which the latter place is built having been do- 
nated foi- that ])uri)ose by Peter Johnston, from wliich 
it mav Ik' iiibTred that he was himself a nnm of liberal 
education and a friend of learning, as the Scotch mer- 
chants of that day usually were. It may be regarded 
as a digression, but 1 will here say that the Scotch mer- 
chant has always occu[)ied a ver\' high po>it"»n in the 



Ol.l) VIK(fIMA CLKKKS. .:>o5 

mercantile wcn-ld, beiiio; reiiuirkaMc ii<»t oiilv for tlieir 
intellio^eiice hut for tlieir strict ideas of mercantile honor 
and integrity ; in fact, the name of Scotch merchant 
was thought to ])e almost equal to a ])atent of nijhility. 
Their books were always kept in double entry, and were 
models of su|)erioi- penmanship and the most scrupulous 
accuracy. There is a pretty well authenticated tradi- 
tion of a Scotch merchant of the seventeenth century 
being in the habit of placing, in large letters, on the 
first page of his ledger^ these significant words : '' God 
bless this bulk, and make it and me p(;rfectly honest." 
With such a pious mott(^ constantly before his eyes, 
there is no wonder that the Scotch merchant reached the 
highest point of success in his business. It was in such a 
school as this that my father was educated as a book- 
keeper, and he was certainly one of the best that I have 
ever known. AVHien he was al)Out twenty years of age 
he was employed by Mr. John May, a gentleman of the 
highest character and respectability, who lived at Belle- 
Vue, on the Appomattox river, near Petersburg, to 
accompany him, in the year 1780, to the. State of Ken- 
tucky, on l)usiness connected with laro-e landed interests 
that he held there, about wliich he was engaged in liti- 
gation requiring the aid of a skillful and intelligent 
clerk. This trip was accomplished l)y land on horse- 
back, and without any particular danger oi- difficulty ; 
but a second trip on which they started, in March, 1790, 
had a disastrous termination, involvino: the killinof of 
Mr. May and the capture of my father by the Indians, 
of which my father pul)lished an account in the year 
1827, in a small volume entitled '*x\ narrative of tlie 
incidents attending the capture, detention and ransom 
of Charles Johnston, of Botetourt county, Yii-o-inia, 



386 OLD VIK(rIMA ri-KKKS. 

who was made prisoner 1)V the Indians on the Ohio 
river, in the year 179U; together with an interesting 
acconnt of the fate of his companions, -five in number, 
one of whom suffered at the stake/' 

So nnu'li of my father. C)n my mother's side, the 
memorial of Jumes Steptoe, the ohl clerk of Bedford, 
shows that he was my grandfather, and tliat he was de- 
scended from one of tlie best Enghsh families. 

In my fifteenth year I left my father's house at Bote- 
tourt Springs, and, with his consent and advice, went 
to Colum])ia, South Carolina, where I lived in a book- 
store, conducted by that elegant scholar and gentleman, 
Edwai-d William Johnston, for three years — that is, 
until December IS^H. It was here that I came into 
daily contact and intercourse with tlie professors in the 
Colleire of South Carolina, who were all tine scholars 
and good talkers. The book-store wms a place of almost 
daily resort for these and other men of letters then liv- 
ing in Columbia, such as Judge DeSaussure, Chancellor 
Harper, AVilliam (1 Preston and others. This literary 
circle was enlai-ged during the period when the legisla- 
ture was in .niinial session by the presence of such men as 
Hugh S. Legare, Waddy Thomps(m, the greatest wit of 
his day, Ceorge ^IcDuttie, Robert Y. JIayne and James 
H. Hammond. Altogether it was such a body of savants 
as any young man who was desirous of mental improve- 
ment might well be proud to be associated ^vith ; and 
1 owe much oi my taste for reading good books and of 
what I know to what I leai-ned in this school. 

Passing over the five years after 1S29, which was 
8])ent as salesman and book-keeper in stores in Salisbury, 
North Carolina, Fmcastle and Salem, Virginia, I come 
to the year 1884, when I man-ied Nancv, the daughter 



OlA) VIH(tINIA (M.KKKS. 33T 

of Nathaniel Burwell, Esq., and settled at J>ig Lick as 
a rnercliant, where I continued nntil 1838, wlien the 
county of Roanoke was formed from Botetourt, when 
I applied for and obtained from Judge John J. Allen, 
then judge of that circuit, the position of clerk of the 
circuit court, which office I held by successive appoint- 
ments and elections by the people for twenty-seven 
years, that is, to the close of the war in 1865. I also 
held the office of county court clerk from the year 1846 
to 1865, when I was succeeded by William McCauley, a 
wounded soldier, who held both offices (except during 
the interregnuin of the military) until July 1, 1887, 
when he was succeeded by P. II. McCaul. It will thus 
be seen that Roanoke county has had but two clerks of 
the circuit court and three of the county court during 
the whole period of its existence — fifty years. 

How well the duties of the office have been per- 
formed by the writer it would perhaps not l^e becom- 
ing in him to say ; but he feels a just pride in stating 
that if any opinion can be formed from the fact that he 
w^as all the time consulted and advised with by other 
clerks, then he must have been held in no small estima- 
tion. He feels an equally just pride in stating that no 
clerk's office was ever left in better condition than his 
was ; all the i-ecords being well preserved and every 
paper in its pi-oper place. 

It gives me pleasure to say Avitli reference to my suc- 
cessor, Mr. IMcCauley, that, for the twenty-two years 
that he has held the office, it was well and properly con- 
ducted, and he has made a good reputation as a faith- 
ful and efficient clerk. His reading was very extensive, 
particularly in reference to everything connected with 
the early history of Virginia, and his information on 
that subject was very extensive and accurate. 



338 OLD VIH(,IM.V CLKKKS. 

rockbktd(;k (T)unty. 



Kockbridge was formed in 1777 iVoiii Aiiuusta and 
Botetourt. The clerks have been : 

Of the County Court. 

1. Andrew Keid, from 1778 to 1831, - - 53 years. 

2. Sam'l ]\rcD. lieid, fr(»m 1831 to 1852, - 21 years. 

3. C. Chapin, from 1852 tu 1863, - - - 11 years. 

4. J. K. Edmiindson, from 1803 to 18G5, - 2 years. 

5. Andrew Aii'iior, from 1805 to 1870 (un- 

der Pierpunt government and as mili- 
tary appointee), -------- 5 years. 

0. J. P. Moore, from 1870 to 1887, - - - 17 years. 

lie-elected in ]\[ay, 1887, without (>p])ositiun. 
Of the Circuit Court. 

1. Andrew Reid, from 1809 to 1831, - - 22 years. 

2. Sam'l McD. Reid, from 1831 to 1858, - 27 years. 

3. J. G. Steele, from 1858 to 18()1:, - - - <; years. 

4. J. C. Bonde, from 1864 to 18r)5, and fi-om 

1870 to 1887, -------- 18 years. 

Re-elected iu May, lss7, without (opposition. 

MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF COLONEL SAm'l 
MCDOWELL REID, SECOND CLERK OF ROCKBRIDGE. 

lie was born on the 21st day of October, 17l>0 ; was 
educated at Washington College (now Washington and 
Lee); was a student of law- at Staunton, under Judge 
Stuart. When Colonel McDowell, father of Governor 
McDowell, inarched through Staunton on his way to 
Norfolk, in command of a regiment recruited during 
the war of 1812. vounu- Reid enlisted, and served as 



(>M) VIli(MNrA (n.EKKS. 339 

Colonel McDuwoirs adjiidant. lie was one of the 
founders of the Graham Society, and one of the cor- 
porators and hrst president of the Frankhn Society in 
1816. He was appointed clerk of the county court of 
Rockbridge July 5th, 1831, and about the same time 
was also appointed clerk of the circuit court, succeed- 
ing his father, Andrew Reid, in both offices. He held 
the office of county court clerk until July, 1852, when 
he declined a re-election, but was then re-elected clerk 
of the circuit court, which office he held until July, 
1858. He was for many years a member of the board 
of directors of the James River Company; and was 
more than any other man influential in securing the 
North River canal, giving his time, influence and means. 
He represented Rockbridge county in the house of 
delegates for several years. He was for more than 
forty years a member of tlie board of trustees of Wash- 
ington College, and of AVashington and Lee University 
to the time of his death, making a continuous service 
of fifty 3^ears ; and was one of the trustees of Ann 
Smith Academy about the same length of time. In 
fact, he w^as actively connected with every public in- 
terest of his native county. For many years before 
his death (which occurred on the 15th of September, 
1869,) he was an active and efficient ruling elder of 
Lexington Presbyterian church. 

The meetings of the different associatiuns with which 
Colonel Reid had been connected during his life, and 
resolutions adopted after his death, all express the high- 
est appreciation of his public services and private vir- 
tues. At a meeting of the bar, held during the session 
of the circuit court of Rockbridge on the 15th of Sep- 
tember, 1869, Governor Letcher presented a series of 



340 ()[-!) VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

resolutions, which were ado})ted by the bar and otHcerd 
of the court, and which bore the liighest testimony to 
tlie character and services of Colonel Reid, and the 
judge of the court, in response to these resolutions, 
made the following statement from the bench : " It was 
my pleasure, indeed, in view of the eminent virtues 
of the deceased, I should rather say it was my privilege, 
to know him intimately for many years, and I must say 
that he has not left behind him a more perfect model 
oi the old Virginia gentleman. I heartily concur in 
every sentiment so eloquently expressed in the pre- 
amble and resolutions which have been read, and most 
cheerfully yield to your request, and order them to be 
s])read upon the records of this court as a feeble testi- 
monial of tlie high estimate we all entertain for the 
memory of the deceased." 

Kowland I). Buford, Esq., who was for many years 
deputy clerk under Colonel Iteid, and afterwards the 
nccoin[)lished clerk of Jk'dford circuit court, has fur- 
jiished the following graceful and appropriate sketch, 
which is creditable alike to his head and to his heart. 
Perhaps none but so admirable a clerk as ]\[r. Buford 
eould have furnished so just a portraiture of such an 
admirable cici'k as Colonel Reid : 

Colonel 8amuel AFcDowell lleid was the son of An- 
drew lleid, the first clerk of Rockbridge county, and 
]\fag<laline McDowell. Tlis father having died. Colonel 
Reid succeeded him in the office of county clerk on the 
f)th day of June, IS^l, which he held until July, 1852 ; 
and also as clerk of the circuit court until the 1st July, 
1858. Having received a collegiate education at Wash- 
ington College, and having been subsequently a student 
<.)f law ; having spent a goodly ])nrt of his time in the 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 341 

clerks' offices under tlie training of his father, who had 
committed ahnost the whole hiisiness of the offices to 
liis son, and being endowed by nature with a strong 
physical constitution and a head full of good common 
sense, it was but natural that he should succeed his father 
in office. He was rather above the usual height, squarely 
and compactly built, and weighed about tw^o hundred 
pounds ; his head was large, forehead broad and propor- 
tionately high ; eyebrows heavy, the latter tending to 
give him a somewliat stern appearance ; his mouth 
rather wide and well set ; in fact, though not really a 
handsome man, his features, w^hen manifesting interest 
either in amusement or in the stern realities of life, 
beamed Avith intelligence. 

The distinguishing traits in Colonel Reid's character 
were his sound common sense, strong w^ill, strict integ- 
rity, undev^iating candor and directness in w^ord and 
deed, high moral courage, a notal)le freedom from cen- 
soriousness in his judgment of others, a uniform spirit 
of kindness in his intercourse with his fellow-men, and 
unbounded hospitahty, all more fully developed by 
constant intercourse ^vith many leading men of his day, 
with whom he w^as throw^n in the conduct of public in- 
stitutions and enterprises But here I must not forget 
what was the sweetest and purest of all influences that 
help to mellow" and adorn his qualities in life, I refer, 
of course, to his charming and accomplished wife, who 
was Miss Sally Hare, of the county of JS^elson. They 
were married on the 22d day of February, 1820. The 
fruits of that happy marriage were three sons and two 
daughters. His wdfe died in 1839 ; his two oldest sons 
in 1842 and 1844, and his youngest son, Samuel Mc- 
Dowell Reid, died in 1856. His oldest daughter is the 



342 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

wife of l^rofessor J. J. White, of Washington and Lee 
University, and the youngest is the wife of Colonel J. 
D. 11. Ross, of Rockbridge county. 

During Colonel Rcid's official life, and anterior to 
about the year 1860, the clerks' offices in the various 
counties in the State were generally filled by first-rate 
men, as well as first-rate officers, whose character as gentle- 
men was irrepproachable, and their accomplishments and 
litness as officers unquestionable. So it was with the 
judges of the circuit courts and the justices of the peace 
that adorned tlie bench in the counties of the State. 
Colonel Reid was thus a fit officer for such courts. No 
county in Virginia could boast of a better set of justices 
in all respects than tlie county of R(jckbridge. They 
were Scotch-Irish, or Scotch-Irish descent ; kind, gen- 
erous, intelligent, firm, independent and just. By such 
a court Colonel Reid was often consulted about matters 
affecting the interests of the county, and his advice 
generally taken. 

As an officer, he v/as absolutely trustwortliy. The 
court knew its clerk, and, when need be, called on him 
and relied on his wisdom and integrity. He wrote a 
good, plain hand, but by no means rapidly ; he had 
great condensing power ; the orders of his courts, when 
drawn by him, were short, comprehensive, accurate and 
to the ])oint, and expressed in good, strong legal lan- 
guage. In tliis he had, as we believe, no superior. 
Though Colonel Reid, to a stranger or casual ac(|uaint- 
ance, had i-ather a stern aspect, yet he was invariably 
polite, courteous and genial, and at times indulged in 
humor, enjoying a good joke very much. It was to 
him a season of great enjoyment at the end of the term 
of th(; (*ircuit court, after the judge had gotten through 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 343 

witli the business of the court and was waitinir for the 
deputy clerk to enter up the orders and decrees in the 
chancery causes, to leave the clerk's desk and take a 
seat within the bar, where he was at all times welcome, 
in company with Thomas J. Michie, James D. David- 
son, A. II. II. Stuart, Governor Letcher, David E. 
Moore and other shining lights of the bar, and spend an 
hour or two in pleasant, social intercourse ; and so great 
and light-hearted were tlie fun and merriment that the 
deputy, though earnestly engaged in writing up the or- 
ders, was forced sometimes to lay down his pen for the 
moment and join in the delightful pastime. 

During his official life, as clerk of the county court, 
a certain gentleman was elected a justice of the peace, 
in place of one who had died. The gentleman referred 
to was a man of liigh character, well educated and of 
good, practical, business sense. A few weeks after he 
had been commissioned and qualided he came into tlie 
clerk's office to interview the clerk on the subject of 
law books ; in short, to inquire what books he would 
need in the proper discharge of his duties as justice. 
Colonel Reid, knowing him very well, chatted Avith him 
very pleasantly about law books, but finally said to him, 
" John, have you a Bible ?" '' Yes, sir," was the reply 
" Well, John, that's the best book you can have. Read 
it carefully and go by it, and you will come out all 
right." 

On another occasion, a very intelligent friend of his, 
residing some distance from the courthouse, but having 
no practical acquaintance with business affairs, deter- 
mined to write his will and have it recorded in the 
clerk's office at once. He accordingly wrote his will, 
folded it up neatly, and sent it, with a polite note, to 



344 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

Colonel Reid, by his son, requesting him to have it re- 
corded at once. The Colonel was quite busy at the 
time, but he laid aside his pen, read the note, and, play- 
fully addressing the young man, said to him, " My son, 
is your father dead ?" " No, sir," was the reply. " Well, 
I'm glad to hear it; go home and tell your father that 
he must die before this paper (holding the will in his 
liand) can be recorded." 

At the election that took place in 1852 he declined 
to be a candidate for the clerkship of the county court, 
but w^as elected clerk of the circuit court, and filled out 
the term of six years, retiring from the clerkship of 
that court in July, 1858. Pie was subsequently elected 
a delegate from Rockbridge to the general assembly of 
Virginia, of which body he was a useful and valuable 
rnembei". Several years afterwards his health became 
delicate, and he gradually withdrew from all public 
matte I's, apparently ceasing to feel any interest in them 
or in the business affairs of life ; and passed away 
quietly from his sweet home on earth to a sweeter home 
in Heaven, lionored, beloved and respected by all who 
know him. 



ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. 



Rockingham was formed in 1777 from Augusta. The 
clerks have been : 

Of the County Court. 

1. Peter Hog, (so spelled), from 1778 to 1782, 4 years. 

2. Henry Ewin^ (so spelled until of late 

years,) from 1782 to 1792, - - - - 10 years. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 34:5 

3. Samuel McWilliains, from 1792 to 1817, 25 years. 
4r. Henry Jewett Gambill, from 1817 to 

1847, - - - - - - 30 years. 

5. Erasmus Coifman, from 1847 to 1852, - 5 years. 

6. L. W. Gambill, from 1852 to 1869, - - 17 years. 

7. William McK. Ilartmann, from 1869 to 

1875, -----------6 years. 

8. Joseph Travis Logan, from 1875 to 1885, 10 years. 

9. Joseph S. Messerley, from 1885 to 1887, 2 years. 

Of the Cirmdt Court. 

1. Arthur 8t. Clair Sprinkle, from 1852 to 

1869, ----.-----. 17 years. 

He was also clerk of county court ^w 

tern., from 1870 to 1871, ----- 1 year. 

^. William McKenney Ilartmann, fTom 1872 

to 1875, - - - - - 3 years. 

3. Foxall A. Daingerfield, from 1870 to 1 872, 2 years. 

4. L. W. Gambill, from 1872 to 1875, - - 3 years. 

5. Joseph H. Shue,from 1875 to 1883 (died), 8 years. 

1^^ See biographical sketches below. 

Rockingham county was established by an act of the 
general assembly of A^irginia passed October. 1777, 
and the first county court was organized April 27th, 
1778. 

Peter llog"^ was the first " clerk of tlie county," as 
the name appears to have been written in the old re- 
cords. Mr. Hog is said to have lived at Port Republic, 

*In Captain John Stuart's "Narrative of General Andrew Lewis' 
Expedition against the Indians in the year 1774," published in the 
" Magazine of American History," in December number,1877, it is stated 
that Pe^er /fog' was appointed one of the captains under General Wash- 
ington in 1752. It is supposed that this is the same Peter Hog who was 
the first clerk of Rockingham county. 



346 OLD V1K(;1NIA CI.KKKS. 

on tlie Shenaiidouh river, unci the ruins of an old store- 
house are pointed out as the remains of the first clerk's 
office in Ilockinghain county. Mr. Hog died in Feb- 
ruary, 1782, and his family, as well as the name, has 
disappeared from the county, and are said to have re- 
moved to the western portion of Vij-uinia. 

Henry Ewin, the second "clerk of the county,'' was 
the son of William Ewin, (or Ewing, as he and his 
family now spell the name),- who was a native of Glas- 
gow, Scotland, and, being a strong Calvinist, fled to 
Londonderry, Ireland, and from thence, by permission 
of Queen Mary, he came to America, and located in 
Berks county, Pennsylvania, where he married a Miss 
Shannon. In 1742, William Ewing came into the 
Shenandoali Valley and purchased tln-ee hundred acres 
of land some three miles northwest of where Harrison- 
burg now stands, and located himself and his family, 
which consisted of three sons, Henry, Andrew and 
John, and tw^o daugliters, Elizabeth, afterwards the wife 

of Hugh Devier, and Nancy, mIio married 

Hogsliead. 

Henry Ewin was elected clerk of Rockingham Feb- 
ruary 25th, 1782, and held the office until July, 1792, 
when he removed to Hardin county, Kentucky, where 
he died about 1799. 

Mr. Ewing was one of the first justices appointed 
for liockingham county in March, 1778, and as long as 
he remained in the couuty he always took a prominent 
part in its affairs. 

Samuel Mc Williams, the third clerk of Buckingham 
county, was a])j)ointed to succeed Mr. Henry Ewin in 
July, 179-J, and continued to hold the office until his 
death, in February, 1817. Mr. McWilliams married 



CM) VIKGINIA dl.P^KKS. 847 

Edith llai'i'i.soii, a duiigliter of Colonel l>c'nJMmiii Har- 
rison, January lOth, 175)2, and resided on wbat is now- 
known as the AVateiuanio farm, northwest of Harrison- 
burg. His death was caused by a fall from a wagon. 

Mr. ^IcATilliams' family has disappeared from the 
county, and nothing can now" be gathered of liis history. 
Mathew (Tambill and Henry Jewett Gam bill were dep- 
uties for Mr. ]\Ic Williams, and, from the records, we 
judge that Mr. H. J. Gand)ill |)erformed most of the 
duties of the office. 

Henry Jewett Gambill, the fourth clerk of Rocking- 
ham county, w^as born in either Albemarle or Augusta 
county, elune 21st, 1777, and came to Kockingham 
when al)0ut twenty years of age. 

Mr. Gambill a])pears first as having charge of the 
court-house generally for several years. On the 23d of 
April, 1798, he w^as appointed and qualified as deputy 
clerk for Mr, Samuel McWilliams, and soon after was 
appointed by the county court to settle the accounts of 
different persons W' ho had been sheriffs of Rockingham 
county, to receive all money due the county, and to act 
as a custodian or treasurer for the funds of the county, 
which position Mr. Gambill held for forty years. 

In 1804 Mr. Gambill was elected to the legislature 
with Daniel Smith (afterwards the renowned judge). 
On April 24th, 1809, Mr. Gambill was appointed clerk 
of the circuit superior court of law and chancery for 
Rockingham county, and held that office until May 
11th, 1847, wdien he declined in favor of his son, L. 
W. Gambill. On P'ebruary 18th, 1817, he was elected 
clerk of the county, (by the justices), and held that office 
to the time of his death, December 25th, 1847. 

Mr. Gambill married Miss Margaret C Burns, Octo- 



348 OLD VIRGINIA CLKRK?. 

ber lOtli, 1799, and left tliree sons, Dr. Richard H. 
Ganibill, David Holmes Gambill and Major L. W. 
Garnbill, and two dangliters, Mrs. Charlotte Smith and 
Mrs. Isabella Gambill. 

Erasmus Cotfman, the fifth clerk of the county court 
of Kockinjxham count v, was a son of Samuel Coffman, 
and was born December 2«)th, I8O8, at the old Coffman 
farm, on Linville creek, in the northern portion of the 
county. Mr. Coifman was elected clerk of the county 
court by the justices comprising that court, February 
23d, 1848, after a three days' hard contest, and on the 
fourteenth ballot. His opponents were Major L. W. 
Gambill and AVilliam G. Stevens. Ilis election was 
accomplished by the consolidation <jf those who sup- 
ported L. W. Gambill witli his friends ; and he ap- 
pointed L. W. Gambill his deputy. Mr. Cotfman held 
the office until July 1st, 1852, when lie was succeeded 
by Major. L. W. Gambill. 

Mr. Coffman was a man of fine attainments. En- 
dowed by nature with a good mind and a remarkable 
memory, by extensive reading he became <;ne of the 
best informed gentlemen in tmr county, while his genial 
disposition, his tine conversational powers, great fund 
of anecdotes, made him the central figure in every 
company he entered. After leaving the clerk's office 
he retired to his farm, wFiere he resided the remainder 
of his life in blissful bachelorhoc^l. y[\\ Coffman died 
March 17th, 1880. 

Major Littleton Watermann (iainbiil, the sixth clerk 
of the county court of Rockingham county, was the 
son of IJenry Jewett Gambill and Margaret C. Burns, 
and was born near Harrisonburg September 16th, 1802. 
Tie was educated in the schools of the town, and for 



OIJ) VIR(;iMIA (LKKKS. 349 

several years was a clerk in the store of Mr. Isaac 
Chrisman, in the northern portion of the county. He 
then hecanie deputy clerk of the courts of the county for 
his father, and May 11th, 1847, he was appointed clerk 
of the circuit superior conrt of Rockingham county, 
which office he held until July 1st, 1852, when he took 
the office of clerk of the county court of Rockingham, 
to which he had heen elected on the 27th of May, 1852, 
at the first election by the people of county officers. 
Major Gambill held the office of clerk of the county 
court until he was removed by order of General Stone- 
man, January 7th, 1869, and Robert A. Gray appointed 
clerk. Major Gambill was a candidate for the office 
at the fall election of 1870, but was defeated by Mr. 
William McK. Wartmann, by reason of the combination 
of his three strongest opponents. He was elected clerk 
of the circuit court of Rockingham at the November 
election, 1871, to fill an unexpired term. He took the 
office January 1st, 1872, and held the same until July 
1st, 1875, when he was succeeded by J. H. Shue, who 
defeated him at the May election, 1875. During his 
term of office as clerk of the county court William D. 
Trout was his faithful and efficient deputy, and as clerk 
of the circuit court G. F. Compton, as his deputy, con- 
ducted the office. 

Major Gambill was a very popular man, and gener- 
ous to a fault. He was a kind and indulgent liusband 
and father, and, taking a great interest in the pleasures 
and enjoyments of the young, he was always ready to 
help them when called upon. Major Gambill was twice 
married, first to Miss Julia Reagan, daughter of Daniel 
Reagan, who lived but a short time. He afterwards 
married Miss Catharine R. Lessop, who, with their 



350 OIJ) \ IKOINIA CLKHKS. 

three sons, Albert, William and Holmes, sui-vived liim. 
Major L. W. Gambill died April i>lst, 18T<). 

Joseph Travis Logan, the eighth clerk of the county 
conrt of Itockingliani connty, tlie son of George Logan 
and Phoebe T. Kolir, was horn at Ilarrisonbnrg July 
9th, 1834. At an early age he went into the othce of 
the Roak'mgham lieglste)'^ where he learned the print- 
er's trade, and remained as a compositor in that office 
for a number of years, lie afterwards engaged in the 
hat business in ILirrisonburg ; but on December 20th, 
1858, Mr. Logan was appointed deputy by John K. 
Koogler, then elected sheriff of Ivockingham county, 
and began the duties of that office January 1st, 1859. 
Mr. Logan c(mtinued a deputy sheriff until 1863, when 
lie was elected shcn-itt" of Kockingham county, which 
position he held during the war, and up to . 

In 18()9 J\Ir. L(jgan acce])ted a position in the United 
States internal revenue collector's ofhce under Samuel 
K. Sterling, and retained this position under Mr. B. B. 
Botts, the successor of Mr. Sterling, until January 1st, 
1871, when he took the position of deputy clerk of the 
county court of liockingham county with William 
McK. AV^artmann, clerk, and on the death of Mr. 
Wartmann, March 9th, 1872, Mr. Logan was appointed 
clerk of the -county court, and held that office continu- 
ously until his death, being, we believe, the most popu- 
lar, efficient and acceptable clerk that ever filled the 
office. 

Mr. Logan was a model man in all his walks in life, 
faithful, honest and industrious in business, fervent and 
humble in spirit, and earnestly serving his Lord and 
Saviour, whom he loved, and whose footsteps he en- 
deavored to follow from his youth to the dav ()f his 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 351 

de'atli. Jle was dearly beloved by all wIk^ knew him ; 
was a prominent and devoted member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church ; for many years a class-leader, stew- 
art and superintendent of the Sal)bath school ; never 
bigoted or exclusive, but always liberal in his views, he 
was welcomed by all denominations and recognized and 
respected by them as a sincere Christian gentleman. 
So liberal and kind-hearted was he that no man, 
woman or child ever appealed to him in vain or went 
from his door empty-handed or unsupplied. And when 
that great day shall come and the deeds of all men are 
revealed, we believe that many will arise and call down 
blessings upon the head of Joseph T. Logan, that his 
crown will be studded with many stars, and that he 
will a])pear before his God bearing his sheaves with 
him. 

Mr. Logan married Mrs. Addie H. Haas, of Shen- 
andoah county, November , 1859, and died Sep- 
tember ISth, 1885, after a lingering and painful illness 
of several years, leaving his devoted T^-ife and two 
children to mourn his loss, and was succeeded by his 
faithful deputy, Joseph S. Messerley, who is now the 
clerk of the county. 

Arthur St. Clair Sprinkel, the lirst clei'k of the cir- 
cuit court of Rockingham county, was the son of 
William Sprinkel and Sallie Ireland, and was born at 
Harrisonburg August 30th, 1815. Mr. Sprinkel was a 
furniture-maker by trade, and together with two broth- 
ers, Alfred ;ind Xelson, he conducted tlie business in 
Harrisonburg until 1852, when he became a candidate 
and was elected at the election May 27, 1852, clerk of 
the circuit court of Rockingham county, which position 
he held until removed by order of General George 



352 OLD VrR(JINIA Or.KRKS. 

Stonemaii, military coiniiiaiHler of ^'i^o•illia, March 20, 
1860, when lie was succeeded by A. L. Liiidsey. 

Mr. Sprinkel was appointed clerk of the county 
court of Itockinghani by Judge James Kenney in 
March, 1870, Avlien the county court was changed from 
the old magisterial system, and held that office until 
January 1st, 1871, when ho was succeeded by AVilliam 
^IcK. Wartmann. 

]\li'. Sprinkel was an u[)right man, a faithful and 
competent clerk, and an elder in the Presbyterian 
church for many years. He was a man of few words, 
but was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew 
him. 

^Ir. Spriid<el married ^liss Julia A. Jordan, and 
died :March lOth, 1872. 

Milliam McKenney Wartmann, the seventh clerk of 
the county court of liockingham, was the son of Law- 
rence Wartmann, the old editor and founder of the 
Rockingham Register, and was born in 1819. AVilliam 
was raised in the printing office, and afterwards became 
<»ne of the pro]u-ietors and editors of the Register, 
which paper he continued to edit and wi-ite f<n* many 
years. 

]\Ir. Wartmann was appointed commissioner in chan- 
cery for the cii-cnit and county courts of Hockingham 
in 1854, and afterwards became the fiduciary commis- 
sioner of the county, which ])osition he held UTitil his 
death. 

Mr. Wartmann became one of seventeen candidates 
for the office of clerk of the county court of Rocking- 
liam county at the November election, 1S70, and by a 
cond)ination with J. T. Logan and V. Herring, tlie 
three, with Wm. McK. Wartmann as the head, were 



Or.D VIRGINIA CLERKS. 353 

elected over L. W. Gambill bj a small niajoritj ; and 
Mr, Wartmann, with J. T. Logan and P. Herring as 
deputies, went into office January 1st, 1871. 

Mr. Wartmann did not live to enjoy his position 
long, as he died suddenly March 8th, 1872. 

Mr. Wartmann married Miss Sallie Van Pelt, but 
died childless. 

Captain Foxall A. Daingerfield. tlie third clerk of 
the circuit court of Rockingham county, was the son 
of LePoy P. Daingerfield and Juliet O. Parker, and 
was born on his father's farm, " Westwood," on the 
Shenandoah river, in Pockiugham county, February 
8th, 1831). 

Captain F. A. Daingerfield was educated in Captain 
George Terrell's military school, in Bath county, and 
in the scliool of P. M. Carter, at Lewisburg, Green- 
brier county, and studied law in the law school of 
Judge J. A\r. Brockenbrough at Washington College, 
Lexington, A'irginia. He went to California, where he 
resided several years, but returned to Virginia in 1861, 
at the breaking out of the war, entered the Soutiiern 
army, and was captain of Company G, Eleventii Vir- 
ginia cavalry, from Bath county. 

Captain Daingerfield was a brave and daring soldier, 
dearly beloved and highly respected by his men. He 
received five wounds, and to-day carries tlie marks of 
one of the most desperate hand-to-hand encounters of 
the war. 

Captain Daingerfield was appointed clerk of the 
circuit court of Pockingham county by Judge Pobert 
Turner, May 11th, 1870, to fill a vacancy occasioned 
by the inability of Mr. J. H. Shue, who had been 
elected to the office, to take his seat, because his politi- 



354 ol.I) VIRGINIA Cr.ERKS. 

oal disabilities had not been removed ; and he held th& 
office until January 1st, 1872, when he was succeeded 
by Major L. W. Gambill. 

Captain F. A. Daingeriield nuirried Miss Henrietta 
II. Gray, daughter of Colonel A. S. Gray, ISToveniber 
4th, 186;i 

Joseph II, Shue, the fifth clerk of the circuit coiift 
of Kockingham county, was the son of Mr. Abraham 
8hue, a tanner near Harrisonburg, and was born No- 
vember 1st, 1819. At an early age he was apprenticed 
to learn the bookbinding business, wbicli he worked at 
for a number of years at Harrisonburg and Baltimore, 
Maryland. In 185- Mr. Sliue was appointed post- 
master at Harrisonburg, and held that place until . 

He then purchased a small farm near Dayton, Eock- 
inirham countv, and resided there until after the death 
of his wife in 1860. 

Mr. Shue was a candidate for the office of clerk of 
the circuit court in November, 1870, and was elected, 
but, owing to his inability to take the test oath, he was 
unable to take the office. Mr- Shue was therefore com- 
pelled to seek other employment, and was engaged as 
a clerk in AVashington and Baltimoi'e. He returned to 
Itockingham in 1874 and took a position as watchman 
on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. 

In May, 1875, ]\[r. Shue was again a candidate for 
the clerkship of the circuit court, was elected, and, his 
i)olitical disabilities having been removed by Congress, 
lie took the office July 1st, 1875, and held it until 
August 21st, 1S8;>, when he died. 

]\Ir. Shue was a member of the ]V[ethodist church 
<Mnd a ])r()minent Mason. 

Mr. Shue was assisted in the discharge of the duties 
of his position as clerk of the circuit court by Colonel 
D. II. Lee Martz. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 355 



RUSSPILL COUNTY. 



Russell was formed in 1786 from Wasliington. The 
clerks Lave been : 

Of the County CovJrt. 

1. Henry DickiDson, from 1786 to 1825, - 39 years. 

2. James P. Carrell, from 1825 to 1854, - 29 years. 

3. R. H. Lynch, from 1854 to 1862, - - 8 years. 

4. George R. Cowan, from 1862 to 1870, - 8 years. 

5. Jacob C. Gent, from 1870 to 1881, - - 11 years. 

6. H. H. Dickinson, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 

Of the Circuit Court. 
1. T. C. M. Alderson, from 1854 to 1862, - 8 years. 

% Granville Gilmer, from 1862 to 1870, - 8 years. 

3. Jacob C. Gent, from 1870 to 1881, - - 11 years. 

4. Henry H. Dickinson, from 1881 to 1887, 6 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



SCOTT COUNTY 



Scott was formed in 1814 from Lee, Washington and 
Russell. The clerks have been : 
1. "William H. Carter, from 1815 to 1816, - 1 year. 
^^^ He was comparatively a stranger 
in the county at the time of his appoint- 
ment, but had been deputy in some 
eastern county, wdiere he had learned 



356 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

the duties of a clerk, and was verj well 
qualified for the position,and was highly 
esteemed as such by the judge of the 
circuit court and by many of the jus- 
tices, but not enough to secure his ap- 
pointment at the regular election held 
a year after his first appointment, when 
he was succeeded by John McHenry, 
and removed from the county. 

2. John McIIenry, from 1810 to 1825, - - 9 years. 

3. Jacob Lynch, (circuit court), from 1819 

to 1825, ---------- G years. 

t^^ lie was a good clerk, and wrote 
a good hand. 

4. John S. Martin, (clerk of county and cir- 

cuit courts) from 1825 to 18-15, - - 20 years. 
1^^ He was a young man at the l)e- 
ginning of his clerkship ; acquired a 
large pro])erty both in lands (in which 
he invested largely in Illinois) and in 
slaves, but became an abolitionist or an 
emancipationist, even at that early day, 
giving freedom to all his slaves, and 
removing with them to Illinois, where 
he lived until after the war, highly es- 
teemed for his character as an honest 
man and for his business qualifications. 
His abiHty and fidelity as a clerk were 
recognized and highly appreciated, as 
is evidenced by his long continuance in 
office, the duties of which he thoroughly 
understood, and his orders and records 
have been models for succeeding clerks. 



fUJ) VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 



35T 



6. 



7. 



James (). Wood, from 1845 to 1852, - T years. 
1^^ Jle wrote a beautiful hand ; was 
well acquainted with the duties of his 
office, and was recognized as a good 
clerk. Inaac A. Gray^ who succeeded 
him in 1852 as clerk of the county 
court, employed Mr. Wood as his 
deputy, and, having lived only nine 
months after his election, Mr. AVood 
was appointed clerk j^^o tempore, and 
acted as such until the following year, 
when Smith II. Morrison was elected 
to fill out Isaac A. Gray's unexpired 
term — that is, from 1852 to 1858, - 6 years. 
Hansford W. Carter, who succeeded 
James O. W^ood as clerk of the circuit 
court in 1852, also employed him as his 
deputy, and he continued to act as such 
until Carter's accidental death (by the 
falling of a tree) towards the close of 
his term. 
James L. Shoemaker, (c(junty court), from 
1858 to 1805, ---'----- 

1^^ He is a man of very fine business 
qualifications ; writes a fine business 
hand, and made a fair clerk. 
9. S. P. McConnell, (circuit court), from 1 858 
to 1865, ---------- 

^^^ He was quite a young man at the 

time of his election as clerk, and learned 

to do the business of his office fairly well. 

10. James O. Wood, (county court), from 

1865 to 1860, -------- 4 years. 



8. 



< years. 



i years. 



358 <>I^l> \IK(;iNIA CLERKS. 

S^^ At the election in August, 1865, 
on the reorganization of the State gov- 
ernment, Charles Addington and S. P. 
McConnell were candidates for the 
county court clerkship ; on the morn- 
ing: of the day before the election Ma- 
jor McConnell declined to make the 
race and came off the track. The news 
spread rapidly oyer the county, and by 
common consent it was announced that 
James O. Wood would serve, if elected. 
He was elected, and served until he 
was removed by military authority in 
1869. He was highly respected, and 
one of the most popular men that ever 
lived in the county. 

11. C. W. White, (circuit court), fn.m 1865 

to 1869, ---------- 4 years. 

When he was removed l)y military au- 
thority. 

Charles Addirujton, who was the 
military appointee as clerk of the county 
court in 1 869, and A rthui' L. Manness^ 
as clerk of the circuit court, had but lit- 
tle qualification for their respective 
offices, thougli in otlier i-espeets worthy 
men. 

12. M. B. Wo<k1, from 1ST<» to l.ST«>, - - - 6 years. 

1^'" \\^ was deputy under his fatlier 
from 1866 to 1 869, and although a mere 
boy at tlic time, he soon thoroughly 
mastered the duties of the office. In 
November, 1ST<\ he was elected clerk 



(>FJ> VIRGINIA CILERKS. 359 

of both courts bv an overwliehniuir 
majority, but was not a candidate for 
re-election in 1876. lie writes a beau- 
tiful hand, and all of Ids orders and 
records are models of neatness and cor- 
rectness. He has the reputation of 
having been the best clerk the county 
has ever had ; and has alsf) been county 
judge. 

13. S. P. McConnell, (both courts), from 1875 

to 1881, 6 years. 

14. John M. Johnson, (county court), from 

1881 to 1887, --/----- 6 years. 

15. William H. Riggs, (circuit court), from 

1881 to 1887, "--.-.--- 6 years. 

16. C. M. Carter was elected clerk of the 

county court in May, 1887. He is a 
young man, and is very popular, and 
promises to make a first-class clerk. 

17. J. Henry Taylor was elected clerk of the 

circuit court in May, 1887, being the 
youngest man ever elected clerk in the 
county — barely twenty-one years old. 
He has been deputy in the county court 
office for some time, and, as he takes a 
pride in doing business correctly and 
neatly, he will doubtless make a fine 
clerk. 



360 i*LV VIRGINIA CLKRKS. 

SHENANDOAH COUNTY 



Slieiiandoali was cut oft* from Frederick and established 
in 1772 under the name of Dmimore / bnt in October, 
1777, after Lord Dun more had taken such a decided 
stand 4\gainst the colonists, one of the delegates from 
the county in the house of burgesses stated that ""his 
constituents no longer wished to live in nor he to repre- 
sent a county bearing tlie name of such a tory ; he 
therefore moved to call it Shenandoah ^ after the beau- 
tiful stream wliich passes through it" ; and it was done 
accordingly. The clci'ks have been: 

1. Thomas Marshall, from 177*2 to 1784, - 1 2 years. 

2. John Williams, Jr., fi-om 1784 to 178',>, 5 years. 
8. Philip Williams, from 178t> to IS4."). - 50 years. 

4. Samuel C. AVilliams, from 184.") to 18<*)'i, 17 years. 

5. James (t. l' ravel, tVom 18(12 to 18(1:), - 1 year. 
(). E. ]Vr. Coim, from 18«'>:5 to 18()5, - - - 2 years. 

7. James (r. Fravel, fi-om Xi^^'t:) to 18()7, - 2 years. 

8. Nathaniel l>arton, from August, 18«>7, to 

October, 18(;7, (died), ----- i> mos. 

1>. h. Edwin Du<lley, from 1S()7 to l,s()8, - 1 yi?ar. 

10. Joseph S. Irwin, from 1808 to 1870, - 2 years. 

11. AVm. Smith Arthur, from .Vpril, 187<» to 

December, 1870, -------<) mos. 

12. George AV. Miley, from 1871 to 1881, - 10 years. 
18. L: S. Walker, from 1881 to 1887, - - years. 

Ke-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 

SKKTCII OK I'llII.II' W II. MAMS. 

The Williams family is of English origin, the \\v- 
ginia branch Inning descended from Pici're Williams, 



OLD VlKXrlNIA CLKKKS. 361 

sergeant-at-law, of London. Three of his grandsons, 
John, William and Otho, emigrated to America. John 
settled in South Carolina, William in Virginia, and 
Otho in Maryland, from whom was descended General 
Otho XL W^illiams, of Revolutionary fame. John died 
childless ; William had two sons, John and William. 
William married a daughter of Philip Clayton, and 
left five children, of whom Philip, the subject of this 
sketch, was the third son. 

Philip Williams was born in the year 1771, near 
Culpeper Courthouse, where his father owned a large 
estate. In early life he moved to Shenandoah county, 
which then embraced all the territory now comprising 
Warren and a portion of Page counties. He was 
elected clerk of the courts of Shenandoah county 
August 27th, 1789, and held that office continuously 
until, at the June term of the county court in 1845, he 
declined re-election. Few men have ever served so 
long and uninterrupted terms of olfice with such gen- 
eral satisfaction and esteem of their fellow-citizens. 
Througli a thorough official training and studious habits 
he became informed in the general principles and prac- 
tice of the law, and familiar with the records of the 
courts. His youth had been disturbed by none of the 
vices or follies peculiar to his time, and his mature 
manliood was strengthened through a conscientious 
practice of moral and Cliristian virtues. He was an 
adherent of the Episcopal church, as his family had 
been in every generation. The principles of his early 
Christian life had been formed under the pastoral ad- 
ministration of St. Mark's parish, m Culpeper, which 
was established by act of assembly in 1730, eighteen 
years previous to the establishment of the county. He 



3(12 <»[.!) VIH(,I.\IA ( I.KKKS. 

was an ofticial nu'mlter of tlie coiio-i'Oi^i-Htiijn at Wood- 
«t<)ck, vvorshipini^ in the clnirch made famous by the 
patriotic sci-nion j)reached in the time of tlie Hevolu- 
tion \)\ its ])ast(>r, tlie Kev. IVter Miildeid)erg, wlien, 
after a most impassioned address npon tlie duties of life, 
in which he declared that there was a time for all things 
— a time to sow and to reap, a time to preach and pray, 
and a time to light in the cause of liberty, and announc- 
ing that that time liad come, he ste])ped down from the 
pulpit and proceeded to recruit one of the first regi- 
ments that marched fi'om tlie S(>utli to j<»in AVashing- 
ton. 

lie was unobtrusive m his maimer and genial and 
self-possessed in all his associations. Although he never 
aspired to leadership in the affairs of either the church 
or politics, vet his counsel was always sought and acted 
upon. In p(»litics he was an nnswei-ving republican, or 
democrat, and advocated the doctrines of that party 
with an intellij^ent understandino- that secui-ed the con- 
fidence and support of his fellow-citizens, lie became 
a leader without aspiring to that j)rominence. His in- 
telligent exposition of the vexed issues of the times so 
streni^tliened the ])artv in the county that, bv reason 
of its overwhelming majorities, it was denominated the 
"Tenth Legion of Democracy." ^'et, with all liis po- 
litical convictions and service to the i>arty, he never 
sought nor asj^ired to any re]>resentative position, al- 
though often solicited to become a candidate for tlie 
highest local trusts. lie was a }>artisan without bit- 
terness ; earnest without being dogmatic, and never 
suffered his political difference to embitter his social 
relations. He regarded the success of his party only 
as the trium]>h of correct political ])rinciples, and stu- 



OIJ) VIK<;INIA OLP]KKS. 363 

dioiislv avoided giving offense tlirongli partisan (U'imi- 
nations. 

His term of office embraced the transition period^ 
when counties were undergoing new limitations, the 
practice of the courts were being modified and society 
Avas emerging from primitive to more modern practices 
and customs. He was officially associated with a class 
of practitioners at the bar of unusual brilliancy, of 
whom some obtained eminence both on the 7ii.'<i' prius 
and appellate l)enches, and all Avere noted for high legal 
attainments. 

The duties of his office were arduous, but he per- 
formed them with fidelity, and his intelligent efficiency 
won the approval of the court and the esteem of its 
officers. 

After a service of fifty-four years he declined a re- 
election. Full of honors as of years, he determined to 
spend the remainder of his life in tranquil retirement, 
but he only survived this change for a few months, 
when, on the 15th of March, lSl-0, he departed this 
life, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. IJis remains 
were interred in the old Episcopal burying ground, at 
Woodstock, where a marble slab that marks his grave 
bears this significant statement : " He was clerk of the 
county of Slienandoah for fifty -four yeai's, and he lived 
and died without an enemy." 

At a court held for the county of Shenandoah on the 
7th day of 'luly, 1845, after lie had declined a re-elec- 
tion to the office of clerk, and his successor, his son, 
Samuel C. AVilliams, had been appointed, the following 
resolutions were offered and adopted by the court, the 
members of the bar and ofiicers of the court : 

"AVhereas, Philip AYilliams, Sr., having, at the last 



364 OLD VIKOINIA cn.EKKS. 

term of. the court, declined a re-election to the office of 
clerk of the county court of Shenandoah, and his suc- 
cessor liaving been appointed — 

^^Iiesol/ved, That the court cannot ])erniit the oppor- 
tunity to pavss without expressing their deep sense of 
his long, arduous and faithful services in the othce of 
clerk of this county, tlie duties of which he has dis- 
charged with the greatest honor to himself and fidelity 
to the public. 

'''' lie Halved^ That wliilc they deeply regret the loss 
which they as well as the j)ublic sustain, they can yet 
congratulate W\\ Williams upon his discharge from the 
onerous public duties which have so long pressed upon 
him, and they cherish the hope that, in his retirement, 
lie may long enjoy the tranquility and repose to which 
his long [)ul)lic service so justly entitles him. 

'^Resolved , That these ])roceedings be entei'ed on the 
minutes of the couit, and that a copy be furnished for 
pui)]ication in the Sentinel of tlip YaUey^ 

Joseph II. Samuels, in behalf of the bar and officers 
of the court, aftcj- nudving a few appropriate remarks, 
offered thi' foilowing preand)le and resolutions: 

" Whereas, Philip Williams, since the 2Ttli day of Au- 
fust, 1789, has discharged the duties of clerk of this 
court, nnd liaving declined u re-election, and his succes- 
sor having been chosen^ — 

'" l*<',^of red unitnimnii.sly ht/ flic officers of the conrt^ 
That as the relation which has so long subsisted be- 
tween th.em and Mi*. Williams has been severed, they 
cannot pei-mit him to go into I'etirement without ex- 
pressing their high sense of the unifoi'tn kindness and 
attention which charueterized him in his relations to 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 3G5 

them, and their gruteful remenibrance of liis urbanity 
of manners and faithful discharge of duty. 

^''Jlesolved, That they tender to liini, in his retire- 
ment from tlie labors of his office, their best wishes for 
his weKare and happiness, and that they express the 
hope that, withdrawn from the cares of public life, he 
may long enjoy the ease and leisure upon which he now 
enters, after his arduous, useful public services, 

'"''Resolved^ That permission be respectfully asked of 
the court to have our proceedings herein inscribed upon 
the minutes of the court. 

^' Ordered^ That the aforesaid proceedings of the bar 
and officers of the court be entered upon the minutes 
of the court, and a copy be furnished by the clerk for 
publication. D. Crawford, 



" A copy — Teste 



'* Presiding Magistrate. 



^'S. C. Williams, C. S. C." 

SKETCH OF SAMUEL C. WILLIAMS. 

Samuel C. Williams succeeded his father, Philip 
Williams, as clerk of the courts of Shenandoah county, 
first by election by the justices of the county, July 7th, 
1845, and subsecpiently, from 1850, after the adoption 
of the new State constitution providing for the system 
of general elections by the qualified voters of the 
counties, he was elected to the succeeding terms up to 
the date of his death in 1862. 

He was born at Woodstock, Virginia, September 
13th, 1812, and died May 12th, 1862, at the age of 
fifty years, having served the county as clerk of its 
courts uninterruptedly for a period of seventeen years. 
He married Miss Sarah Ott, of Woodstock, and left 



3()() OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

nine children, of wlioin General James II. and William 
T. are prominent lawyers at the Woodstock bar. Hav- 
ing served as deputy to his father for ten years pre- 
ceding his election to that office, he was well qualified 
for the efficient discharge of its duties, and had already 
won the confidence of the court and its officers, which 
insured his election almost unanimously. He was also 
associated in the office, as deputy, with his brother, 
Philip Williams, Jr., who was then studying the law, 
and who afterwards I'ose to eminent distinction in the 
profession. 

Like his fathei-, he was a democrat, and had acquired 
the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens for un- 
imj^eachable integrity and a genial, sociable disposition; 
but differed in that he had a genius for politics, and 
suffered himself at times to be induced to accept rej)- 
resentative relations, lie was well informed, from 
very early life, upon all the important issues between 
the parties, and was intimately identified with all po- 
htical and social questions. His thorough knowledge 
of the men and measures of his time fixed his relation 
as leader in the party, and adviser in and promoter of 
all social movements bavingthe advancement of county 
interests as their object. In religion he was an Episco- 
palian, but for a number of years, during which time 
the Episcoj)al church had lost its congregational organi- 
zation, he affiliated with the Presbyterians. 

Previous to his election to the office of clerk he held 
important juiblic trusts. In 184-1 he was a delegate to 
the national convention which nominated James K. 
Polk for the presidency ; and was successively appointed 
a delegate to the national conventions of 18-i8, 1852 
and isr)0, in which capacity he served satisfactorily to 



OLD VIROINIA CLERKS. 367 

his party and with credit to liimself. lie was a mem- 
ber of the constitutional convention of 1850-51. and 
in 1861 was elected a member of the state convention 
which was called to consider the question of secession. 
In the canvass before the people he opposed the ques- 
tion of referring the action of the convention back to 
the people for ratification. He signed, along with 
Henry A. Wise and James Barbour, the jninority re- 
port of the convention in favor of secession, before the 
proclamation of President Lincoln in April, 1861 , calling 
for seventy -live thousand troops. lie was twice elected 
a member of tlie legislature from Shenandoah, the 
terms embracing the years 1811, 1812 and 1813. He 
was an active partisan, trenchant in debate and subtle 
in the manipulations of party machinery, and invaria- 
bly successful in all his canvasses. He frerpiently met 
in debate the clianipions of the whig and know-nothing 
parties, notably amongst whom were Hous. A. H. H. 
Stuart, John B. Baldwin, Charles Carter Lee and Philip 
Williams, ^all partisans of the highest order of talent. 

In the development of the material interests of the 
county and great Shenandoah Valley, he was active in 
effort and comprehensive in design. He was a director 
in the Valley Turnpike Company, one of the earliest 
and best and most comprehensive iinpi'ovements in the 
State, and contributed largely through his intelligent 
advocacy to the construction of that inter-state road- 
way. He was an early friend and later a director in 
the Manassas Gap Pailroad Company that was to open 
up the valley section of the State to the seaboard cities. 
But, although he was active in pushing the enterprise, 
yet his prudence counselled opposition to au excessive 
contribution by the county, and through his earnest 



^6S OLI> N'IKUINIA CLERKS. 

endeavors lie defeated tlie proposition, which was sub- 
TOitted to tlie citizens of the county at a general elec- 
tion. In after years the wisdom of his foresight was 
generally accorded. 

Earnest and zealous in all that he undertook, he was 
ready at all times to siistain his convictions by personal 
eacrifices. When he returned, in 1861, from the con- 
vention whose deliberations resulted in a determination 
to withdraw from the Union, he, at the head of his 
compan}^ the Mnlilenberg Rifles, was among the first 
to respond to the state call for troops. He reported 
for duty at Harper's Ferry, but on account of rapidly 
failing health, he was unable to withstand the severities 
of the service, and was compelled to return to his home, 
where, after a lingei-ing illness, he died on the 12th day 
of May, 18()2. 

L. s. \valkp:k 

Was born in JS'ew Mai'ket, Shenandoah county, Vir- 
ginia, August 6th, 1857. His early education was had 
in the schools of that town and at " The Kew Market 
Polytechnic Institute," where he orradnated with the 
degree of A. 1). in May, 1875. 

He entered the clerk's office June 11th, 1875, as as- 
sistant clerk; was appointed deputy clerk April, 1879 ; 
was elected clerk of county court in May, 1881, by 
four hundred and sixt^'-nine majority, and was re-elected 
May, 1887, by a majority of two hundred and nine- 
teen. 

QKORGK \\ . >[1LKY. 

Martin F. Miley and Catharine A. Khodes, whose 
ancestors were "first settlers" in Shenandoali county, 
are the parents of George W. Miley, who was born and 



OLD VIRGINIA CLEKKS. 369 

raised in said county, on tlie farm known as ''Clover 
Hill," situated four miles north from the courthouse. 
His nativity was September 18th, 1840, and during his 
minority was on the farm and at " Clover Hill Semi- 
nary," until tlie civil war, when he enlisted as a private 
in Company F, Tenth Virginia Volunteers, Army 
Northern Virginia. 

He was married Xovember 2(>th. 1865, to Tirzah A., 
daughter of William Baker; was appointed commis- 
sioner in chancery by the county and circuit courts re- 
spectively in 1866; was elected clerk of the county 
court in November, 1870. The population of the 
county was less than fifteen thousand, and, by virtue of 
his office, became clerk of the circuit court ; w^as re- 
elected in November, 1874, and again in May, 1875 — 
the amendment to the constitution having been adopted 
at the November election, 1874. The census of 1880 
gave the county over fifteen thousand inhabitants, au- 
thorizing the election of a county court as well as a 
circuit court clerk. He was elected to the office of the 
latter in May, 1881, and again in May, 1887, His 
present term will end July 1st, 189o. 



SMYTH COUNTY. 



Smyth was formed from Washington and Wythe in 
1832. The clerks have been : 

Of' the County Court. 

1. Kobert Beatie, from 1832 to 1831), - - 7 years. 

2. James F. Pendleton, from 1839 to 1858, 19 years. 

1^^ He went into the office as deputy 
for n. Beatie, and ])erformed all the 



3^0 Of-D VIR«;l\IA (n,KRK8. 

duties, iJeatie giving very little atten- 
tion to them, lie was superinteiulent 
of the penitentiary from 1858 to 1872. 
The records of his office bear ample 
testimony to liis careful and diligent 
attention to the duties of the clerk's 
office, and his administration of the 
penitentiary was highly efficient. He 
was reared in Culpeper county, and 
was the brother of lion. John S. Pendle- 
ton and of Albert G. Pendleton, a dis- 
tinguished lawyer of Giles county, A"a. 

2. W. C. Sexton, from 1858 to 1887, - - 29 years. 
Pwe-elected in May, 1887. 

(Jf the Circuit Court. 

1. Peter C. Johnston, (brother of General 
Joseph E.), from April, 1.^82, to ]\ray, 
1830, (resigned), ------- 4 years. 

^. A. 1>. Moore, fi-om 1 8o(j to 1847 (resigned), 11 years. 
1^^ His brother, Thomas A. Moore, 
was clerk and dej^uty clerk of Jeifer- 
son county forty -seven years. 

*1 James F. Pendleton, from 1847 to 1852, 5 years. 

4. Edward A. Scott, from 1852 to 1800, 

(resigned ) - - ------- 8 years. 

^. John S. CopenhavciL from \SiU) to 18r>!), 

(removed), D years. 

i\. ('. F. Lincoln, (military ;ip[)ointe(!) fnMii 

180<> to is 70. -------- 1 year. 

7. E. L. Robci-ts. from 1870 to 1875, - - 5 years. 

^:. AV. ('. Sexton, from 1875 to 18S7, - - 12 years. 



<>LI> VIR(;INIA TLKKKS. ^Xl 

SOUTHAMPK )N COUNTY. 



Soutliamptoii was formed in 1 74.S tVoiii Isle of 
Wight. The clerks Lave been : 

1. Kicliard Kello, f rom 1T4S to IT To, - - 25 years. 

2. Samuel Kello, from ITTo to 17t)S, - - 25 years. 

3. Samuel Kello, Jr., from 1TV)8 to 1815, - IT years. 

4. James Rochelle, from 1815 to 1885, - - 20 years. 

I^^See sketcli of liim l)elow. 

5. Littleton Eiehard Edwards, from 18^55 to 

1883, ----.------ 48 years. 

I^^Born in }>runswick county. June, 
5th, 1800 ; for several years deputy 
clerk in that county ; appointed deputy 
under James Rochelle in 1827 ; and 
on his death in 1835 was appointed 
clerk of the courts of Southampton, 
which he continued to be until his 
death in 1883 — the long period of forty- 
eight years. At the close of the late 
wai-, Major Edwards was disqualified 
from liolding the office, but it was held 
under the 7nilitary governmerd by 
others for his benefit, and he was 
really clerk during the period of his 
disability. As soon as he became eli- 
gible he was again elected to the otHces, 
in name as well as in fact, when he 
was seventy years old. No higher tes- 
timony could be furnislied of the esti- 
mate in which he was held as a clerk. 

6. Joseph B. Prince, from 1883 to 188T, - 4 years. 

Re-elected in May, 188T, for six years. 



372 <>M> VIK(;INIA (M.KRKS. 

MKMOKIAT. OK JAMES KOCIIP^LLK. 

James Rochelle, son of John and Judith ((Tilliamj 
Roclielle, was Ixirn in the year 1786, at liis father's 
place, called "The llerniita<^-e," in Southampton county, 
Virginia. Tn 1815, at the age of twenty-nine, he was 
chosen hy tlie magistrates of the county clerk of South- 
amj)ton, an othce whicli he Iield for twenty consecutive 
years. On the ll>th of April, 1817, he was married to 
Mrs. Martha l>low (llines) Gray, daughter of William 
and Martha (Blow) Ilines, and widow of Dr. Henry 
Miles Gray. James Kochelle died on the 17th of Au- 
gust, l/85, in the fiftieth year of his age, and was buried 
at "The irermitage,'" the place where he was born. 
His widow, Mrs. Martha (llines-Gray) li(jclielle, sur- 
vived him. His only children who passed the age of 
childluxKl, were two sons, John William and James 
Henry, and (Uie daughter, ^fartlia Blow. 

The name of , lames Rochelle ha> not been connected 
with any i-emarkable puplic events ; but he has left a 
name foi* irreproachable ])urity and integrity of charac- 
ter that is of priceless value to his descendants. He 
was a hioch model and tvije of the old \ ir^-inia clerk, 
intelligent, scrupulously careful and attentive to all 
his official duties, and with a polite and pleasing man- 
ner to all around him. lie enj(>yed the friendshi]) and 
confidence of many of the most distinguished men of 
his day, not oidy in Southampton l)ut elsewhere, and his 
office was regarded as the best of all schools for a young 
man who wished to make the law his juirsuit in life. 
Among others who ])lace(l themselves under his instruc- 
tion was (xeorge H. Thomas, afterwards the distiu- 
jTuisluMl fedei-al ircnoi-a] in the late war, as to whom the 



out \IK<;IMA (M.KKKS. 373 

following extract from " Van Home's Life of Majoi*- 
General Georofe 11. Thouias," (page 2)^ makes interest- 
ing mention. ''The first twenty years of his life were 
spent in a qniet home, subject to the moulding iniluences 
of a refined family and elevating external associations, 
In his twentieth year he completed with honor the pre- 
scribed course of study of the Southampton Academy, 
located near his home. Soon after his graduation he 
entered the office of James Ttochelle, his uncle, who was 
county clerk at the time. While acting as deputy clerk 
he commenced the study of the law ; but another career 
soon offered itself. At that time the Hon. John Y. 
Mason represented the congressional disti*ict which em- 
braced Southampton county, and having an appoint- 
ment to a cadetship at the militai-y academy at West 
Point to offer to some young man in his district, he 
called upon Mr. Rochelle, and offered it to his nephew. 
Mr. Rochelle said, in reply, ' Let us call the boy, and 
ascertain what he thinks of the proposition.' The 
^ boy ' accepted promptly, and the legal profession lost 
a worthy candidate for its duties and honors, while the 
profession of arms gained one of its highest ornaments.'^ 

As showing the estimate in which Mr. James Ro- 
chelle was held as a wise and judicious instructor of 
young men in the duties of the clerkship, the following 
extract is given of a letter addressed to him (dated June 
12th, 1813) by the Hon. Edwin Gray, representative in 
congress : 

'^Dear Sir : — Mr. Ivello havino: been so kind as to 
permit my son, James, to write in the clerk's office for 
his improvement, and to prepare him for the study of 
law, I have sent him now for that purpose. He will 
live with his uncle, and it is my wish that he may ren- 



374 0\A) NIUGINIA CLERKS. 

der himself useful to vou. Permit me to ask the favor 
of you to advise and instruct liim in the husiness he 
undertakes." 

Other letters, addressed t<;) ^fr. Rochelle h}^ persons 
of prominence and distinction at tliat day, have been 
placed in my hands to be used according to my discre- 
tion. Some of these are too long to be published en- 
tire, but extracts will be given sufficient to show that he 
was in correspondence with those persons who occupied 
public positions in the general assembly and in the con- 
gress of the United States, and that he was looked upon 
as a man of uncommon intelligence and influence, 
whose opinions and counsels were held in high esteem. 

(1) A letter from Hon. James Trezvant, member of 
congress, dated Api-il 23d, 1826, refers to the Panama 
mission as having occupied much of the time of con- 
gress, against which he states that he voted, as being 
"a departure from the settled policy of the country as 
recommended by AVashington in his farewell address." 

(2) A letter from Albert Gallatin, dated 29th May, 
1826, in which he advises with Mr. Kochelle as to a 
suofcrestion made by Mr. Gallatin to the secretary of 
war, with the approbation of the president, that " meas- 
ures be taken to collect comparative yocabularies of all 
the languages and dialects of the Indian tribes existing 
within the United States. Circulars will be addressed 
to all the Indian superintendents and agents, and to 
the missionaries with whom the department has cor- 
respondence. J>ut they have no agent with the J^ot- 
toicays^ and we are fortunate that you should be 
disposed to lend your aid as to them." 

(3) A letter from Hon. John Y. ^[ason (dated Jan- 
nary 11, 1828), then in the senate of Virginia, in which 



OLD VIKOTNIA (n.P:KKS. 375 

the polities of the day are freely discussed, especially 
as to the appointment of presidential electors for the 
election of that year; among other things saying: 
'* The Adams convention is now in session here. They 
have made out an electoral ticket on which the names 
of James Madison and James Monroe are placed. I 
have no idea that either of them will serve ; hut the 
Adams men are all anxious that their cause should be 
aided by great names." Farther on, he says : " On the 
subject of the circuit court bill, I thank you for your 
confidence and friendly suggestions. I have not yet 
made up my mind on the subject. It is one of immense 
magnitude, and I fully appreciate the responsibility of 
my situation. For a novelty, I believe that there will 
be no artillery opened on the clerks this winter. If 
there be, I shall, as formerly, stand by them." 

(4) A letter from Hon. John Y. Mason, a member 
of the constitutional convention of Yirginia, dated 
Richmond, December 18, 1829. He expresses great 
fear that the convention will accomplish 7io good ; 
among other things saying : " The body is so equally 
divided into geographical parties, that every question 
is divided by nearly tlie same votes. Sitting by Mr. 
Madison the other day, and the house being nearly 
divided on some unimportant question, the old man 
remarked to me that he believed if a motion were made 
that two and two toould make fou'}\ it would produce 
a division of the house. Indeed, if any otlier argu- 
ment were wanting to show that this convention should 
never have been called, it would be found in this 
striking disparity of views. The idea of breaking up 
the foundations of a government which for fifty-four 
years has produced so much happiness, and against 



876 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

whic'li not one solitary cluirgo of misrule can be brought, 
would, to an iin})rejudi(;ed mind, seem the last extreme 
of madness and folly.'' 

(5) A letter from Hon. John Y. Mason, a senator in 
the jj^eneral assembly of A^irginia, dated Richmond, 
March 22, 18^>1. in wliicli he says, among other things: 
"The general assembly have passed the bill fixing the 
tenure of tlie clerks' /^)tfice at seven years, and author- 
izing two-thirds of the county court to dismiss. You 
can form no idea of the violence of many of the mem- 
bers against judges, clerks and sheriffs. You need not 
give yourself any uneasiness as to your office, for no 
opposition Ciin affect you." 

At the time of ]\Ir. Rochelle's death, highly compli- 
mentary resolutions were adopted by the court of which 
he was clerk, and the following ohltuartj^ prepared by 
James Strange French, Esq., was published in the 
liicliuioiid Fjujuircr of August 20, 1835: 

'• Died, at liis residence in Southampton county, on 
the night of the 1 Tth instant, in the fiftieth year of his 
age, James lw(^c] telle, Esq. For twenty years he was 
clei-k of tlie NUpei'ior and inferior courts of his county, 
and dischai'gi'd the various duties with so much ability 
and urbanity of manner as to win the confidence and 
regard of all wlut knew him. A victim of pulmonary 
(ionsuniptioii, he lingered for about five years, the 
greater ])art of the time confined to his bed ; yet lie 
murmured not at his fate, but sustained himself through- 
out with tiie most unshaken fortitude, even cheerful 
when not suilering acutely with paiiL One who long 
k^unv him can say, that a more remarkable example of 
patience was never exhibited. (/Onlined so long, and 
u'nder eii-eunistanees so well calculated to irritate the 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 377 

mind, lie was never seen out of temper with a servant, 
or heard to utter an unkind syllable in reference to an 
acquaintance! No man has ever left us whom the 
country has more just reason to regret. No man was 
ever watched over with more untiring devotion ; no 
man ever had dearer friends, or qualities better calcu- 
lated to inspire the warmest friendship. No man ever 
lived who, in all the relations of life, was more scrupu- 
lously honest, and I have never known one so pure, so 
gentle, so benevolent. As a husband, father, friend, 
and master, his example was all that is beautiful and 
bright ; and long, long will liis memory be cherished 
with the deepest affection by each one who stood in 
the above relations. He has left a wife, three children 
and numerous friends to mourn his irre^^arable loss, 
and their greatest consolation must be in contemplating 
the purity of his character." 




SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY. 

INCLUDING THE CORPORATION OF FREDERICKSBURG. 



Spotsylvania was formed in 1721 from Essex, King 
William and King and Queen, and named for Alexan- 
ander Spotswood, (sometimes spelled Spottiswood), who 



378 OLD V^IIiGINIA OLEKKS. 

was at that time governor of the colony of Virginia. 
The clerks have been : 

1. John Waller, from 1722 to 1742, - - - 20 years. 

2. Edmund Waller, (son of John), from 1742 

to 1751, -.-.-9 years. 

3. William Waller, (son of John), from 1751 

to 1759, ---------- 8 years. 

4. John Waller, (son of William), from 1760 

to 1774, - - - 14 years. 

5. John Waller, Jr., (son of John, Sr.), from 

1774 to 178G, - 12 years. 

6. John Chew, from 1787 to 1802, - - - 15 years. 

7. Kobert S. Chew, from 1802 to 1818, - - 16 years. 

8. K. L. Stevenson, from 1819 to 1835 - - 16 years. 

9. Therit Towles, from 1835 to 1836, (died), 1 year. 

10. StapletonCrntehfield, from 1836 to 1850, 14 years. 

11. Kobert C. Dabney, from 1850 to 1875, - 25 years. 

12. Francis C. Beverl}^, from 1875 to 1881, - 6 years. 

13. J. r. II. Crismond, from 1881 to 1887, 6 years. 

Clerks of Corporation Court of Fredericlzsburg. 

1. Henry Armistead, from 1782 to 1787, - 5 years. 

2. John Chew, from 1787 to 1806, - - - 10 years. 

3. Eobert S. Chew, (son of John), from 1806 

to 1826, 20 years. 

4. John J. Chew, (son of Eobert S.), from 

1826 to 1870, 44 years. 

With an inierregnnm of two years in 
reconstruction times. 

5. llobert S. Chew, (son of John J.), from 

1870 to 1886, when he died, - - .16 years. 

6. K. ]'>. J'erry, from 1886 to 1887, - - - 1 year. 

Re-elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 379 

Thus the clerkship of the corporation of Fredericks- 
burg coutiimed for a century in one family, descending 
from father to son, and all capable, efficient and valua- 
ble public officers. John J. Chew and Eobert S. Chew- 
were also clerks of the circuit court of Spotsylvania 
county (which embraced Fredericksburg) until a sepa-. 
rate circuit court was created for Fredericksburo^ in 
1874, when Ilobert S. Chew become the clerk of that 
court. 

John J. Chew mai-i'ied Miss Patton, a sister of the 
distinguished jurist, John M. Patton ; and during J. J. 
Chew's official service such eminent lawyers as Judge 
Robert Stanard, Judge John W. Green, Judge John 
Taylor Loinax, John M. Patton, Arthur A. Morson 
and Judge Kichard C. L. Moncure practiced law in the 
courts of Fredericksburg. 

Colonel John Waller, Gentleman^ (an appendage to 
their names that he and all his sons used during life in 
their deeds and other important papers), the first clerk 
of Spotsylvania, was the son of the English emigrant, 
John Waller, and of his wife, Mary Key. He married 
Dorothy King, and lived on his estate, " New Port," 
in Spotsylvania. His children were Mary, who married 
Zachary Lewis, Edmund, (second clerk), John, Thomas, 
William, (third clerk of the county), and Benjamin, 
who became the celebrated Judge Waller, of Williams- 
burg. The silver seal of Colonel John Waller, Gerv- 
tleman, is still in existence, though it has passed into 
the possession of a family descended from his daughter, 
and not of the Waller name. The coat-of-arms consists 
of a shield, the contour of which is highly ornamented. 
The shield is crossed obliquely by a band, on which are 
three walnut leaves, one above another. The crest is 



SSO OLD VIKGINIA CLERKS. 

an oak tree, from tlie bninclies of wliicli is suspended 
on the riglit side a shield on which avejleurs de lisy 
representative of the arms of France. This shield was 
added to the Waller arms after the battle of Agencourt, 
in wdiicli engagement the then head of the family 
greatly distinguished himself. The motto originally 
belonging to the court of arms is " Hceo fructus vir- 
tidis,^'' and is on the silver seal of Colonel John Waller, 
GentlemaiL lie was sworn in as the first clerk of Spot- 
sylvania, at Germanna, August 1, 1722, and died in 1754. 
It is supposed, though not positively known, that he was 
buried in the family burying-ground at Newport. 

Edmund, son of John Waller, Gentleman, was the 
second cU^rk of Spotsylvania. The family name of liis 
wife is not known — her christian name was Mary. 
Among their children was John Waller, who afterwards 
became the well-known Baptist preacher, who was 
bound by his father as an apprentice to study law. The 
chestnut tree, under the branches of which Edmund 
Waller kept his office, is still alive and standing. He 
resigned his clerkship in 1751, and finally removed 
from the county, but when, it is not known. 

Colonel William Waller, third clerk of the county, 
son of Colonel John AValler, Gentleman, was born in 

1714. lie married Ann . Her family name is 

not given. He appears to have been a man of unusual 
business capacity, and greatly depended on by his family 
and by others in business matters. His mother left him 
in lier will, among other things, her Book of Common 
Prayer, which shows, as is well known, that the old 
Waller clerks belonged to the Church of England, and 
the opening clause of his will indicates that he was a 
man of exemplary piety. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 381 

John AYaller, fourth clerk of the county, was the 
eldest son of Colonel William Waller, and married a 
Miss Booker, formerly spelled Bouchier. 

SKETCH OP^ KOP.EKT STANARD CHEW. 

Robert S. Chew, son of John J. Chew, was born in 
Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the year 1828. His edu- 
tional advantages were of a superioi' character, and at 
an early age he selected medicine as a profession. After 
the usual course at college lie graduated with distinc- 
tion ; having received his diploma, he entered at once 
upon the practice of his profession, locating for that 
purpose at Martinsburg, Virginia, now^ West Virginia, 
wher,e he remained for about one year. Although suc- 
cessful in his chosen calling, he determined to rehn- 
quish the practice of medicine and engage in clerical 
work, for wdiich he was peculiarly fitted, and which, it 
seems, was more congenial to his tastes. He returned 
to his native city and accepted a position of honor and 
responsibility in the Bank of Commerce, which posi- 
tion he held until the breaking out of the war. He 
entered the service in April, 1861, as captain of Com- 
pany B, Thirtieth regiment Virginia infantry, and on 
the reorganization of the army, in 1862, was pro- 
moted lieutenant-colonel, and in 1864, attained the full 
rank of colonel, serving as such until the final surren- 
der a,t Appomattox. 

. After the surrender at Appomattox he came home, 
and as soon as practicable entered into business. It- 
was not long, however, before he was offered and ac- 
ce|>ted a situation in Memphis, Tennessee, in whichii 
city he remained until 1870, when, at the request of thiei 
lawyers. of Fredericksburg, he returned to Fredericks-; 



382 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

burg, and became a candidate for the position of clerk 
of the corporation court, to whicli he was elected, and 
whicli he held, by successive election and re-election, 
until his death, in August, 1886. 

His thorough fitness and qualification for tlie posi- 
tion were pre-eminent, and he was justly regarded as 
one of the best (if not the very best) clerks in the State. 
With a ripe experience, thorough clerical training, and 
a mental vigor and perception scarcely equaled, he was 
particularly fitted for the responsible and intricate duties 
of the position which he honored for so many years. 
As commissioner in chancery he was careful and pains- 
taking, which, w^ith his thorough knowledge of the 
science of accounts, and intelligent appreciation of the 
rights of parties, made his reports and accounts models 
of sound judgment and clerical excellence. 



STAFFORD COUNTY. 



Stafford was formed in 1675 from Westmoreland. 
Owing to the mutilated condition of the records of 
this county, and the destruction of many of them by 
fire, and by the federal troo])s during the late war, no 
satisfactory or complete information can now be gath- 
ered concerning the old clerks. A record book of the 
date of 1813 shows that Dr. V. Y. Peyton was clerk 
from 18()i) to 1813, when he resigned in favor of John 
M. Conway, who held the office from that time until 
1852, when II. K. Conway was elected ; and he was 
re-tilected in 1858 to serve six vears, which lie did. 



<>I,I.) \IK(ilNIA CLERKS. 883 

1^^ A note from a member of the Fredei-icksburg 
bar, in sending me the foregoing information, has the 
following memorandum : '' 0. A. Tackett is the present 
clerk of the county and circuit courts of Stafford. 
John M. Convmy was a man of liberal education, and 
an intelligent, faithful clerk, and a highly esteemed 
citizen. Judge Richard C. L. Moncure married his 
daughter, who is still living. His son, Eustace Conway, 
was circuit judge. II. R. Conway was his son, and 
trained in his office. The circuit judges, during the 
clerical term of John M. Conway and H. R. Conway, 
were Judge Dade, John Scott, John W. Tyler, Henry 
W. Thomas. Among the lawyers practicing in the 
Stafford courts during the same period were Arthur A. 
Morson, John M. Patton, Richard C. L. Moncure, 
John M. Forbes, Eppa Ilunton. 

The following list of names and periods of service 
is as nearly accurate as can now be made, but is sup- 
posed to embrace all the clerks since the Revolution. 

1. John T. Ford, from about 1780 to 1809, 29 years. 

1^^^ See autobiography of Robert 
Hutchins, clerk of Caroline, and what 
he says' of J. T. Ford. 

2. y. Y. Peyton, from 1809 to 1815, - - years. 

3. John M. Conway, from 1815 to 1852, - 37 years. 

4. Henry R. Conway, from 1852 to 1863, - 11 years. 

5. George N. Moncure, from 1863 to 1869, 6 years. 

6. R. H. Bryan, ) Supposed to be mili- 

7. Edward Towson, \ tary appointees, - - 2 years. 

8. C. A. Tackett, from 18*71 to 1887, - - 16 years. 



384 ()Li» \na;iNiA clerks. 



8URUY COUNTY. 



Surry was fortncd from Isle; of Wight in 1052. Tbe 
clerks liave \)cv]\ : 

1. Robert Stiintoii, fi-«)ni 1(152 to 1<n")o, - - 1 year. 

2. George AVatkins, from Novemhcr 1 7tli to 

November 20tli, 1(^52, - - - - - 3 days. 

3. William Edwards, from 1053 to 1697, - 44 years. 

4. Francis Clements, from lOOT to 1708, - 11 years. 

5. John Allen, from 1708 to 1751, - - - 43 years. 
0. C. A. Claiborne, from 1751 to 1754, - 3 years. 

7. A¥illiam Nelson, from 1754 to 1781, - - 27 years. 

8. Jacob Fanlcon, from 1781 to 1801, - - 20 years. 

9. John Fanlcon, from 1801 to 1829, - - 28 years. 

10. Walter 8. Booth, from 1829 to 1839, - 10 years. 

11. AVm. P. Underwood, from 1839 to 18*39, 30 years. 

I^^^Eemoved April, 1 809, by General 
Canby, and tT. C. I'nderwood appointed 
ill his place, who left the state a few 
months after his a])pointment. lie was 
"sncceeded by John Forncrook nntil 
April, 1870. 

12. J. K. Fitcliett, from 1870 to 1871, when 

he died, ---------- 1 year. 

13. A. S. Edwards, from 1871 to 1887, - - 10 years. 

Re-elected in Alay, 1887. for six vears. 



OLD VIRGINJA CLERKS. 385 

SUSSEX COUNTY. 



Sussex was formed in 1754 from Surry. The clerks 
have been : 

1. Augustine Claiborne, from 1754 to* 

2. J. C. Bailey. 

3. L. Lanier. 

4. John J. Prince. 

5. George W. Prince. 

6. W. H. Hikok. 

7. T. S. Morgan. 

8. J. D. Thornton. 

9. J. H. Dobie, from 1876 to 1887, and re-elected in 
May, 1887, for six years. 



TAZEWELL COUNTY 



Tazewell was formed in 1779. The clerks have 
been : 

1. John AYard, from 1779 to 1805, - - - 26 years. 

2. John Crockett, from 1805 to 1838, - - 33.years. 

3. G. AY. G. Brown, from 1838 to 1852, - 14 years. 

4. S. L. Graham, from 1852 to 1858, . - 6 years. 

5. J. ^y. Thompson, from 1858 to 1869, - 11 years. 

6. E. B. Gillespie, from 1869 to 1875, - - 6 years. 

7. J. E. Doak, from 1875 to 1881, - - - 6 years. 

8. W. G. Harrisson, from 1881 to 1887, - 6 years. 

9. T. E. George, elected in 1887 for six years. 

* Owing to the destruction and mutilation of raany of the old records 
during the late war, the dates of service of the clerks cannot be given 
with any accuracy, and are therefore not given at all. 



886 OLD VIKOINIA CLKKKS. 

- WARREN COUNTY. 



Warren was formed in 1830 from Frederick and 
Shenandoah. The clerks have been : 

1. Robert Turner, from 1830 to 1801 (died), 25 years. 

2. Thomas N. Asldjy, from 1801 to 1801-, - 3 years. 

3. Ewell Baker, from 1805 to 1809, - - - 1- years. 

4. Jeremiali Kebler (military appointee), 

from 1869 to 1870, ------ 1 year. 

5. Ewell Baker, from 1870 to 1881 (died), 11 years, 

6. William A. Compton, from 1881 to 1883, 2 years. 

7. C. A. Macatee, from 1883 to 1887, - - 4 years. 

Re-elected in ^lay, 1887, for six years. 
1^^ Besides a biographical sketcli of Colonel Robert 
Turner, the first clerk of Warren, pre])ared by Giles 
Cook, Esq., the present clerk has furnished a brief 
notice of the other clerks, and also a scrap of history 
connected with the county of Warren during the Pier- 
pont government, which is of a somewhat romantic 
interest, and pi-esents the little county in a very favora- 
ble view for the pliid' and independence of its court 
officials. 

WARKKN col NT V AM) ITS (M.ERKS. 

Warren county was organized Marcli 24th, 1836, 
taken from the counties of Frederick and Shenandoali. 

Colonel Robert Turner, who had served as deputy 
in the clerk's office of Shenandoah, was elected clerk 
of the county court and also of the circuit coui't, and 
served as such until his deatli, July 23d, 1801. 

Thomas N. Ashby, Esq., was appointed by the court 
August 1st, ISOI, to fill the office made vacant by the 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 



387 



deatli of Coloiiel Turner, to serve as sucli until liia 
successor shall have been elected, and an election for 
said purpose ordered to be held on September 5th, 
1861, at which election said Thomas X. Ashby was 
elected for the unexpired term of the late Colonel 
Tm-ner, who had been elected for a term of six years 
from the 1st day of July, 1858, and was succeeded by 
Captain Ewell Baker, who was elected on the 18th day 
of July, 1865, and qualified on the 21st day of August, 
1865 (being the first court held in the county after the 
surrender), and among the proceedings of the court at 
that term is the following : 

'' Ordered that the following ])reand)le and resolu- 
tions be put on the records of this court : 

"Whereas, on the third Monday in August, 1865, 
being the regular day for holding the court of this 
county, the members of said court, duly elected and 
commissioned under authority of the restoi-ed govern- 
ment of the state of Virginia, having assembled for 
the purpose of lawful organization, and taking the 
various oaths prescribed by the general assembly of 
Yirgiiiia in such cases made and provided ; but pre- 
vious to the completion of said organization by the 
qualification and execution of bonds of the clerk and 
executive officers pertaining to the court, the precincts 
of said court were entered by a person assuming to be 
an officer and two men in the uniform of the United 
States army, accompanied by a female, named Mary, 
or Peggy, Northern, who approached the clerk's table, 
interposing themselves between the court and its clerk, 
then in session, rudely demanding the immediate de- 
livery of certain papers belonging to the records of the 
circuit court of this county, with threats of violence 



388 OLD VlKlHNfA CLKRKS. 

if the said papers were not instantly procured for them, 
emphatically declaring at the time that they had full 
authority for the demand from the militarj^ commander, 
as also for making- arrests in case of refusal; and, 
whereas, the said <>thcer and men^ in pursuance of their 
threat, did actually arrest Thomas xS. Ashby, the late 
clerk of the cii-ciiit court, in whose lawful possession 
the said papers were, with declared intent to take him 
to Winchester-; and, whereas, the proceedings of the 
said court of the county were forcibly interrupted and 
its lawful action prevented, by reason of the violent 
intrusion of military power ; and, whereas, the peace 
of the commonwealth and the due administration of 
justice requij'e that the courts shall be secure against 
violence or outrage of any description, and that the 
records and papers belonging to the records of said 
court shall be made safe and secure against any descrip- 
tion of force that may be resorted to for the pur})Ose of 
illegally abstracting papers or records from the custody 
of the lawful keej)ers of the same ; therefore, 

^''Rasolv'^d, That as the paper sought for was not 
among the records of this court, and as a similar de- 
mand may be made for records or papers rightly belong- 
ing to this court, and inasmuch as there is provision 
made by law for the withdrawal of records from the 
clerk's office of the court, this court will assuredly re- 
fuse to deliver the same, except in the manner indicated 
in the laws of Virginia. 

'' Besolved^ That the commanding officer of the United 
States forces in the Valley be earnestly requested to 
take such action in the premises as will in future secure 
the courts of this county from military interruption or 
violence. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKKKS. 389 

^' It is fiirtlier ordered that a copy of the foregoing 
preamble and resolutions be forwarded, by the clerk of 
this court, to the officer in command of the forces of 
the United States in the Yalley." 

The clerk's office was administered by Captain Baker 
until July 19th, 1869, at wliicli time he was removed 
by order of General E. Canby, commanding first mili- 
tary district of Virginia, and b}^ w^hose order Jeremiah 
Kebler, Esq., was appointed clerk, and who qualified 
and served as such until May 16th, 1870, being the first 
term of the county court under the present constitu- 
tion, when Captain Ewell Baker was appointed clerk 
by the court, to serve until his successor was elected ; 
and, at a general election, held on the 8th day of J^o- 
vember, 1870, Captain Baker was again elected clerk, 
and continued in office until his death, on the 13th day 
of October, 1881. 

William A. Compton, Esq., was, by the court, ap- 
pointed clerk, and served as such until July 1st, 1883, 
w^hen C. A. Macatee, who was elected on the 21th day 
of May, 1883, for the unexpired term of the late Cap- 
tain Baker, took charge of the office, and who w^as again 
elected on the 26th day of May, 1887, for the term of 
six years. 

BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCH OF EOBERT TUKNEK. 

Robert Turner (familiarly known among his friends 
by his military title of Colonel) w^as born in 1790, in 
that part of Frederick county which was subse- 
quently embraced in Warren county. His father was 
Hezekiah Turner, who was, in the early years of this 
century, the county surveyor of Frederick. In his 
youth he was a store-boy in the town of Front Royal, 



390 orj) viH<;ixiA cr.KRK>5. 

and afterwards roiiioved to Shenandoah county, where 
he was employed as manager of a large iron establish- 
ment, known as Arthur's Furnace. Subsequently he 
married the daughter of Philip Williams, then the 
clerk of Shenandoah county, and was employed by him 
as dei)uty in his office, the duties of which he faithfully 
performed for many years. 

In IS.^r; the county of Warren was formed from 
parts of Shenandoali aii<l Frederick, and the county 
seat established at Front Koyal ; and Colonel Turner 
became a candidate in competition with several popular 
young men. His superior (pialifications were so well 
kp.own and acknowledged that he received the appoint- 
ment of clerk of both courts. Afterwards, v/hen these 
offices became eligible by the peo|)le, he was continued 
in office by the popular vote until his death in 1861. 

During all these years he was a faithful public officer, 
and as a clerk had no superior in the State. Indeed, the 
records of the courts from 1S3() to 1801 bear testimony 
to his ffreat skill and admirable methods of business. 

The iirst wife of Colonel Turner died at an early age, 
and he married a second wife, a most amiable and ex- 
cellent woman, who survived him only a few years. 
They left three children, all of whom now reside in 
Front Royal, viz., Hon. R. II. Turner, judge of the 
twelfth judicial circuit. Dr. J. II. Turner, a popular 
physician, and S. S. Turner, Esq., a lawyer of distinc- 
tion. 



OLD V^FKOTNIA CLERKS. 391 



WARWICK COUNTY. 



Warwick is one of the original shires into which Vir- 
ginia was divided in 1634. It was originally a large 
territory, bnt some other counties being subsequently 
formed from it, it is now one of the smallest in the 
State. At the commencement of the late war the conrt 
records were removed to Richmond for safe-keeping, 
and were destroyed by the gi-eat fire when Richmond 
was evacuated. Owing to this fact, no list of names and 
dates of service of the old clerks can now be furnished, 
and those that follow go back no farther than the 
memory of living persons will enable us to trace them, 
that is to say, from the year 1835. 

Samnel Shields was clerk in 1835. 

1. H. R. D. Brown, was clerk in 1846. 

2. William Robinson, was clerk in 1850. 

3. William B. Jones, (known as Hell-cat 

Billy Jones\ from 1851 to 1861, - - 10 years. 
1^^ The court records having been 
removed, no courts were held during 
the war. 

4. William C. Elinor, (probably a military 

appointee), from 1865 to 1869, - - 4 years. 

5. William B. Jones, (Ilell-cat), from 1869 

to 1875, ----- 6 years. 

6. 11. II. Wynne, from 1875 to 1887, - - 12 years. 

7. Henry de B. Clay, elected in May, 1887, 

for six years. 



392 OLD VIKCrlNIA CI-KRKS. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 



Washington was formed in 1770 from Fincastle 
county, wliicli was, in the year 1772, cut off and formed 
from Botetourt, and embraced all of Southwestern 
Virmnia lyini>: south and west of the Botetourt line, 
which was New river. In 1770, four years afterwards, 
the county of Fincastle was divided into three counties, 
viz : Washington, Kentucky and Montgomery, and the 
name of Fincastle became extinct. W^ashington county, 
during the whole of the Ilevolution, and up to 1786, 
embraced within its limits all Southwest Virginia 
southwest of the Montgomer}^ line, including parts of 
Grayson, AYythe and Tazewell, all of Smyth, Scott, 
Russell and Lee. The clerks have been : 

1. David Campbell, from 1777 to 1779, - 2 years. 

I^^He resigned in 1779 and removed 
to Tennessee, where he afterwards be- 
came distinguished as a law^yer and 
judge. 

2. John Campbell (son of the above), from 

1779 to 1815, 36 years. 

3. David Cam])bell (son of John Campbell), 

from 1815 to 1837, - 22 years. 

1^^ He was elected Governor of Vir- 
ginia in 1837, and served as such for 
the full term of three years, lie was 
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Twentieth 



OLD VIUGIMA CLERKS. 393 

regiment United States army, in the 
war of 1812 ; a member of the senate 
of Virginia from 1820 to 1824. Born 
August T, 1779 ; died March 19, 1859. 

4. Jacob Lynch, from 1837 to 1858, - - 21 years. 

I^^JIe had been deputy under Gov- 
ernor Campbell. See his voluntary 
testimony to the character of J. Lynch. 

5. John G. Kreger, from 1858 to 1865, - 7 years. 

6. Jas. C. Campbell (great-great-grandson of 

David Campbell and a nephcAv of Gov- 
ernor David Campbell), from 1865 to 
1869, v^^hen he was reinoved by mili- 
tary authority, -------- 4 years. 

7. Charles McDougal (military appointee), 

from 1869 to 1870, - ^ ... - 1 year. 

8. Leonidas Baugh, from 1870 to 1871, - 1 year. 

9. WilHam G. G. Lowry, from 1871 to 1887, 16 years. 
10. David C. Cummings (great-grandson of 

the iirst D.Campbell),elected May,1887. 

Clerks of Circuit Court. 

1. Andrew Russell, from 1809 to 1838, - 27 years. 

2. Conally F. Trigg, from 1838 to 1852, - 14 years. 

3. Peter J. Branch, from 1852 to 1865, - 13 years. 

4. David C. Cummings, from 1865 to 1871, 6 years. 

5. Lewis T. Crosby, from 1871 to 1887, - 16 years. 

6. John G. Kreger, elected May, 1887. 



MEMORIALS OF DAVID CAMPBELL AND JACOB LYNCH. 

The compiler of these " Memorials of Old Virginia 
Clerks" had hoped to procure a biographical sketch of 



394 • OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

David Campbell, the third clerk of Washington county, 
but has failed to do so. Two papers have, however, 
been placed in liis hands, whicli will be read with in- 
terest, and are here given as illustrating the admirable 
character of ex-Governor David Campbell, both being 
voluntary testimonials to the worth of persons between 
whom and himself there had formerly existed the most 
intimate and friendly relations, though occupying en- 
tirely different spheres of life — Jacob Ltjnch^ as his 
faithful and trusted dep\ity in the clerk's ofiice, and 
Eliza J)rapei\ as his equally falthfid and trusted ser- 
geant. 

.lACOH [.VNCH. 

*' Beiiiij: about to leave the clerk's otlice of the couiitv 
of AYashington, (to assume the duties of governor of 
Virginia), and having been connected with Mr. Jacob 
Lynch in business for the last twenty-live years, I feel 
it to be my duty to offer him the following voluntary 
testimonial of my opinion of his qualifications tis a 
public officer and merits as a man. 

" Mr. Lynch came into the clerk's office upwards of 
twenty-five years ago, and has performed the duties of 
deputy clerk ever since, first under the former clerk, 
then under myself when I became the principal. 1 
consider his (pialifications as a clerk ecpial to any gen- 
tleman within my knowledge. 1 need not say more, 
as his (jualifications are well known to the gentlemen 
of the bar, to all the justices of the county and to the 
peojde generally. Of his ])rivate virtues I will speak 
more particularly, and it may be presumed that I am 
well acquainted with them after so long an intimacy. 
1 estimate W\\ Lynch as one of the few gentlemen who, 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 3i>5 

in private life, has had the prudence so to conduct him- 
self as to sliow no faults or foibles, as far as I could 
discover. Although always firm in his opinions and 
purposes, open and candid in his manner, yet I have 
never heard him express an uncharitable or even a hasty 
or passionate opinion abuut any one. I believe no 
temptation could induce him to violate these golden 
rules, or to stoop from the character of a good man to 
inflict pain upon the humblest being in society. My 
pecuniary transactions with him liave been extensive, 
and I have always found liini in money matters ecpially 
exemplary, uniformly fair and liberal, and performing 
his promises with the utmost punctuality. 

'' To sum up all, I would say that Mr. Lynch is a 
man of good mind and acquirements, having tlie best 
qualifications as a clerk, generous and liberal in his 
feelings towards all, and of the most spotless integrity. 

" David Campbell.'* 

kliza draper. 

" The following memorandum was made immediately 
after the death of Eliza Draper, this being the name 
by which she was baptized : 

" 1848, July 28th. Died this morning, at half-past 
one o'clock, our servant woman, Eliza Draper, after a 
protracted attack of fever, which lasted over eleven 
weeks. She was worn down to a skeleton, and died 
like an infant going to sleep ; and we hope that God 
has blotted out all her transgressions, and that she en- 
joys the ha])piiiess of the good. Eliza was born the 
16th day of January, 1816, and therefore died in the 
thirty-third year of her age. She was a most dutiful 
and faithful servant to her mistress and master ; and 



396 OLD V1K(HNIA CLERKS. 

although of a high temper naturally, jet, for many 
years past, most submissive to their commands. She 
was treated by them with mildness, and she repaid it 
with the most devoted attachment. They feel her loss 
and grieve for her as they would for a relative whom 
they loved. She had for years past been the waiting- 
woman of her mistress, now very infirm. God has 
willed, and no doubt for wise purposes, that she should 
be taken away, and we bow to His cliastisement with 
humble resignation. David Campbell." 

CLERKS OF THE ClRCUFr COURT OF WASHINGTON COUNTY. 

Few, if any, of the counties of the State of Vir- 
ginia can boast of clerks of the circuit courts of higher 
character, and of better adaptability to the work of the 
office, than the county of Washington. 

Claiborne Watkins was clerk of the district court; 
went into office in 1779. Of him the writer of these 
notes kiiows but little — nothing personally. Members 
of his family were occasional visitors at and near 
Abingdon, when the writer was a boy. Mr. Watkins 
was a gentleman of high cliaracter, and tilled the office 
with great acceptability. 

Andrew Russell, first clerk of the circuit court of 
Washington, was a man highly respected for his up- 
rightness and honesty. lie was for many successive 
periods a presidential elector for that congressional 
district. 

Conally F. Trigg, a lawyer of eminent ability, who 
had few equals at the bar, went into office i^tay 12th, 
1838. Mr. Trigg was gentlemanly in his bearing, and 
was the friend of the entire peoi)le whose acrpiaintance 
he made. The duties of the office were discharged 



OLD VIRGINIA CLKRKS. 397 

with great acceptability. In 1855 or 1856 he removed 
to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he soon was recognized 
as the peer of any lawyer at that bar. He was ap- 
pointed July 2d, 1862, by President Lincoln, to the 
judgeship of the United States circuit and district 
courts for the western district of Tennessee. Ey his 
firmness and decision upon the bench (being conserva- 
tive in temperament and disposition) he contributed as 
much, if not more, than any one person in Tennessee 
in quieting the turbulent elements of the state during 
the terrible days of reconstruction . Con ally F. Trigg 
was born in Abingdon, Virginia, March 8th, 1810, and 
died at his ho?ne near Bristol, Tennessee, April 25tli, 
1880, and was buried at Abino-clon. 

Peter J. Branch succeeded Mr. Trigg in 1852, and 
continued in office till August, 1865. He was a native 
of Chesterfield county, Yirginia, but came to Wash- 
ington when a young man. He was born August 20th, 
1796, and died 10th January, 1873. He was of French 
origin. Captain Branch was a clerk of no ordinary 
capabilities. His office work was well and promptly 
executed — his handwriting very superior. He main- 
tained the high character of his predecessors for effi- 
ciency in all office work. 

David C. Cummings succeeded Captain Branch in 
August, 1865. Colonel Cummings was also for many 
years clerk of the county court. See a further notice 
of him appended hereto : 

David Campbell Cummings, who was clerk of the 
circuit court, was a grandson, and his son, David C. 
Cummings, was a great-grandson of "Parson" Cum- 
mings, known as " the fighting parson," who was one of 
the pioneers of that county. He was a Presbyterian 



398 OI.l) VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

clergyman, and a log cabin was erected at the place 
where Abingdon was afterwards made a town, in which 
he preached to the few settlers in that region. lie was 
a very pious and honored man, and his memory is still 
greatly revered in all that countr}^; and, though a 
preacher, he was always ready to defend his family and 
neighbors against the Indians, with whom he had more 
than one lively encounter, always taking his rifle into 
the pulpit with him wdien he preached. There may be 
seen in the cemetery at Abingdon, near which he lived 
in a small log cabin, a rough head-stone, on which the 
following inscription is cut in Roman letters : '' Henry 
Creswell lies interred here, July, 1776." Creswell, 
Piper and Parson Cummings had been attacked by a 
body of Indians, and in the fight that ensued Creswell 
was killed, and was buried on the spot by his compan- 
ions, with this headstone and inscription to mark his 
grave. 

The two families of Cam[)l)ell and Cummings have 
held the clerkship of Washington county during the 
greater part of 4ts existence. 

During the days of reconstruction^ Dr. A. R. Pres- 
ton, of Abingdon, was appointed clerk of the circuit 
court, who continued Colonel D. C. Cummings in office 
as his deputy, who entered upon the duties of the office 
October 25th, 1809. Dr. Preston did not discharge 
any of the duties of the office, confiding it to Colonel 
Cummings. 

L. Thomson Cosby succeeded Colonel Cummings 
January 1st, 1871, and continued in office until July 
1st, 1887. ^Ir. Cosby was born in Buckingham county, 
Virginia, but, with his parents, came to Abingdon in 
childhood, lie entered the confederate service August 



OLD VIRGINIA. CLERKS. 399 

1862, in Captain Jones' — later Captain C. T. Litch- 
field's — company, First Virginia Cavalry, and remained 
in the field until the close of the war. 

Mr. Cosby was first elected clerk of the circuit court 
in November, 1870, and held said ofiice until July, 
1887, having been successively re-elected without any 
opposition. He proved himself worthy the confidence 
of his constituents and the public at large, and gave 
the fullest satisfaction in the discharge of his ofiicial 
duties. In Mr. Cosby 's bearing as a public ofiicer, he 
was always gentlemanly, and took no ordinary pleasure 
in looking after the interests of all who confided their 
business to his hands. The business of the ofiice was 
neatly and always promptly done. 

John G. Kreger, a native of Washington county, 
succeeded Mr. Cosby, July 1st, 1887, and, from his long 
experience as deputy and tlien clerk of the county 
court of Washington county, the business of the ofiice 
of the circuit court may be expected to be well and 
acceptably done. Probably few men in the county 
have a stronger hold upon public confidence than Mr. 
Kreger, and the business of his ofiice will not suffer in 
his hands. 



/ WESTMORELAND COUNTY. 

Westmoreland was cut off of Northumberland in 
1652, but its boundaries do not appear to have been 
fixed until this was done by an "act of the general 
assembly" of July, 1653. It has been called "the 
Athens of Virginia," from the fact that some of the 
most renowned men in this country have been born 
within its borders. Amongst these may be mentioned 



400 OLD VIUGIMA CLERKS. 

George Washhujton^ Kicliard Henry Lee and his three 
brothers, William, Francis and Arthnr; Henry Lee, 
James Monroe, and last, but not least, Hobert E. Lee. 
The records of Westmoreland county date back to the 
year 1(152, but they seem to liave been kept with no 
regularity or care, and the name of the first clerk does 
not appear until January 25th, 1G54, where it is signed 
for \X\Q first and last time, so that the date of his service 
cannot be ascertained. Following the order in which 
the names of the clerks ai)pear on the records, they are ; 

1. Edward Dale, supposed to be from 1G52 

to U>02, . . _ - 10 years. 

2. John Rynes, from 1002 (date of his first 

signature) to August, 1664, when his 

will is recorded, 2 years. 

3. llichard Auburne, first and only signa- 

ture 9th December, 1600. 

4. James Westcomb, first signature January 

24, 1690, last signature July, 1709, - 19 years. 

5. Thomas Sorrell, first signature January 

20, 1715, last signature October, 1726, 11 years. 

6. George Turberville, from 1726 to 1742, 16 years. 

7. George Lee, from 1742 to 1761, • - - 19 years. 

8. James Davenport, from 1762 to 1776, - 14 years. 

I^W^ Signed his name very irregularly 
to certificates of deeds, etc., sometimes 
at intervals of one, two and three years. 
8. (2d) llichard Bernard, first signature 29th 
March, 1774, and last signature No- 
vember, 1774, (eight months.) There 
seeuLS to have been a contest between 
Davenport and IJernard, as their names 
and signatures run into each other. 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 401 

9. Presley Thornton, from 1776 to 1785, - 11 years. 

10. Eicliard Bernard, from 1777 to 1785. 

1^^ There seems to have been another 
contest between the two last, as their 
names and signatures run into each 
other. 

11. Richard Parker, from 1785 to 1786, - - 1 year. 

12. James Bland, from 1786 to 1799, - - - 13 years. 

13. Joseph Fox, from 1799 to 1823, - - - 24 years. 

14. Jolm Graham, from 1824 to 1831, - - 7 years. 

15. AVilliam Hutt, from 1831 to 1850, - - 19 years. 

J[^p^See proceedings of the court at 
the time of his death. 

16. J. Warren Hutt, from 1850 to 1887, - 37 years. 

Re-elected in May, 1887. i 

MEMORIAL OF WILLIAM HUTT. 

The present clerk of Westmoreland, in sending me 
the foregoing list of names and, so far as they can be 
ascertained, the dates of service of the old clerks, ac- 
companies it with the following statement, wdiich indi- 
cates plainly that he is a w^orthy son and successor of a 
worthy father, wdiich is fully attested by the fact that 
he has been continued in tlie office of clerk for the long 
period of thirty -seven years. In these days of change 
and thirst for rotation in office, a man must have su- 
perior merit to hold the clerkship so long : 

" In regard to the capacity and fidelity of the clerks 
wli6 were appointed prior to the date at which Wil- 
liam Hutt appears on the stage of action, I am not 
prepared to speak, and as I am the son and successor of 
William Hutt, I feel some delicacy in regard to saying 
anything in regard to his qualifications, but will let the 



402 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

preamble and resolutions adopted by tlie court, after 
bis deatb, speak for bim." 

Proceedings of the Court. 

At a court bold fur tbe county of Vv^estnioreland on 
tbc 25tb of November, 1850, tbe following preamble 
and resolutions were presented and adopted, and or- 
dered to be spread upon tlie records of tlie court: 

"It was announced to tlie court, its bar and officers 
tbat since tbe last term it lias pleased Him wbo liolds 
tbc destinies of us all to remove from our midst our 
valued friend and associate, William Ilutt, tbe clerk of 
tliis coui't. Tbe deatb of any prominent citizen is cal- 
culated to inspire tbe community vritb feelings of 
regn^t ; but, u}>on tins occasion, we are called on to la- 
ment not onlj^ an eminent citizen but one wbo was 
bound to us all by tbe ties of personal friendsbip, and 
wboso connection witli tbe affairs of tbe county in tbe 
various offices be beld and discbarged witb singular 
faitbfubiess and abiHty, makes bis tbe more keenly felt 
tbrougliout tliis wbole community. Mr. Ilutt was clerk 
of our courts, commissioner in cbancery, and treasurer 
of our poor scbools. To tbe discbarge of all tbese 
offices be brougbt tbe most unbending integrity and 
cnligbtened judgment, great industry and kind and con- 
ciliatory manners and deportment, lie was endowed 
witb a mind singularly clear and discriminating. In 
early life be bad made tbe law a part of bis studies, 
tbougb not witb a view to its exercise as a profession ; 
and as a statute lawyer few were bis superiors. The 
store of knowledge tlius acquired it was bis pleasure to 
impart to otliers; and tliis court and bar acknowledge 
witb pride tbe valuable counsel and assistance often 



OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 403 

received from liim in their official connection. In pri- 
vate life our departed friend exhibited all the virtues 
which adorn the relations we are called to sustain. In 
him, the tender, affectionate husband and father, the 
kind brother, the humane master, the sincere friend and 
honest, upright iiian, all found a faithful representative. 
These tilings made him esteemed while with us, and 
will cause liim long to live in our memories now that 
he is departed. As a token of respect to his memory, 
we adopt the following resolutions : 

" Resolved^ That we receive with sorrow the tidings 
of the death of William Ilutt, Esq., late clerk of this 
court, and we tender to his widow and to his family 
our heart-felt sympathy in their bereavement. 

'''Resolved^ That as a mark of respect for the de- 
ceased, the members of the court, and of the bar, and 
the officers of the conrt, will wear the usual badge of 
mournmg for thirty days. 

^' Resolved^ That a copy of these proceedings be en- 
tered among the minutes of this court, and a copy 
thereof be sent to Mrs. Hutt, and published in the 
Richmond Whig and Alexandria Gazette. 

''Resolved^ As a further mark of respect to the de- 
ceased, that the court do now adjourn." 

Here was a high type and model of " the old Vir- 
ginia clerk." • F. J. 



404 OLD VIRGINIA CLERKS. 

WISE COUNTY 



"Wise was formed in 1856 from Russell, Scott and 
Lee. The clerks have been : 

Of the County 'Court. 

1. Morgan T. Lipps, from 1850 to 1858, and 

by successive elections to February, 
1869, when he was removed by military 
authority, 13 years. 

2. F. G. Wells, from 1870 to 1871, and by 

successive elections to 1881, - - -11 years. 

3. William J. Kilgore, from 1881 to 1887, 6 years. 

4. J. E. Lipps, from 1887 to 1893, - - - 6 years. 

Of the Circuit Court. 
1. K. C. Perkey, from 1865 to 1869, - - 4 years. 



WYTHE COUNTY 



Wythe was formed in 1790 from Montgomery. The 
clerks have been : 

Of the County Court. 

1. John C. Crockett, from 1790 to 1812, - 22 years. 

2. John P. Matthews,'^ from 1812 to 1842, 30 years. 

3. Harold S. Matthews, from 1842 to 1861, 19 years. 

4. William B. Foster, from 1870 to 1887, - 17 years. 

• John P. Matthews was one of the best known and most highly re- 
spected nieu in Sou tli western Virginia, well informed and possessed 
of excellent social qualities, and greatly esteemed by the court and bar. 
He married a daughter of General Alexander Smythe. 



OLD VIRGINIA 0LP:RKS. 



405 



Of the Circuit Court. 

1. James R. Miller, from 1812 to 1851, - 39 years. 

2. William A. Stuart,* from 1851 to 1861, 10 years. 

3. James Trucks, from 1861 to 1869, - - 8 years. 

4. William B. Foster, from 1870 to 1887, - 17 years. 

And re elected in May, 1887, for six years. 



YORK COUNTY. 



York is one of the eight original counties (or shires) 
into which Virginia was divided in 1634. The follow- 
ing have been the clerks : 

1. Robert Booth, from 1640 to 1652, - - 12 years. 

2. Thomas Ballard, from 1652 to 1690, - 38 years. 

3. William Sedgwick, from 1690 to 1707, - 17 years. 

4. Philip Lightfoot, from 1707 to 1736, - 29 years. 

5. Matthew Hubbard, from 1736 to 1745, - 9 years. 

6. Thomas Everard, from 1745 to 1784, - 39 years. 

7. Robert H. Waller, from 1784 to 1806, - 22 years. 

8. Samuel Shield, from 1806 to 1849, - - 43 years. 

9. Bolivar Shield, from 1849 to 1866, - - 17 years. 

10. Lem Yan Boskirk, from 1866 to 1877, - 11 years. 

11. A. F. Hudgins, from 1877 to 1887, - - 10 years. 

* William A. Stuart was a popular and efficient clerk, and after his 
retirement from that position, developed unusual capacity and enter- 
prise in business matters, wliich have enabled him to amass a large 
fortune. Being part owner of the salt works in Washington county, 
he, with his partners, operated them successfully during the late war ; 
and he is now the sole owner of the Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, 
besides an immense body (probably fifty thousand acres) of valuable 
lands in Russell county. 



A. 

Ailswortb, James J Accomac county. 

Ailsworth, John B Accomac county. 

Austin, Benjamin Alexandria county. 

Arthur, Albon A Bedford county. 

Allen, Brown M Botetourt county. 

Alexander, Robert Campbell county. 

Alexander, John Campbell county. 

Alexander, John D Campbell county. 

Alexander, William K Campbell county. 

Adams, William A Dinwiddle county. 

Armistead, Westwood S Elizabeth City county. 

Anderson, James , Grayson county. 

Anderson, Orville Grayson county. 

Anderson, Garland Grayson county. 

Armistead, Robert King George county. 

Austin, "William P Lunenburg county. 

Atkins, W. T Mecklenburg county. 

Armistead, John C .* Petersburg. 

Angus, Patrick Princess Anne county.. 

Anglin, John L Patrick county. 

Adkins, Thomas S Richmond city. 

Agnor, Andrew Rockbridge county, 

Alderson, T. C. M Russell county. 

Addington, Charles Scott county. 

Arthur, William S Shenandoah county, 

Armistead, Henry Spotsylvania county. 

Allen, John Surry county. 

Ashby, Thomas N Warren county. 

Auburn, Richard Westmoreland county.. 

B. 

Bayly, Edmund Accomac county. 

Bayly, Richard D Accomac county. 

Bumley, H. B Accomac county. 

Bocock, John T Appomattox county. 

Bocock, Henry F Appomattox county, 

Burnet, William A Augusta county. 

Buford, Rowland D Bedford county. 

Bowyer, Henry Botetourt county. 

Bowyer, Henry W Botetourt county. 

Bell, Colonel Buckingham county, 

Byrd, Otway Charles City county. 

Broaddus^ William Culpeper county. 



II INIIEX. 

Broaddus, William, Jr Culpeper county. 

Booker, John A Cumberland county. 

Bickford, S. E Elizabeth City county. 

Beverly, William Essex county. 

Ball, S. M Fairfax county. 

Brooke, H. T Fairfax county. 

Brooke, Humphrey Fauquier county. 

Brooke, Francis Fauquier county. 

Byrn, John S Fauquier county. 

Broderick, H. W Giles county. 

Booker, W. K Giles county. 

Bourn, William Grayson county. 

Bourn, William C ^..Grayson county. 

Ballard, James W Grayson counts', 

Bryant, L. H Grayson county. 

Beasley, W. S : Greene county. 

Blow, William Greensville county. 

Brown, J. Alexander Greensville county. 

Broomfield, John Isle of Wight county. 

Baker, James Isle of Wight county. 

Baker, Richard Isle of Wight county. 

Burwell, Nathaniel Isle of Wight county. 

Berry, Laurence King George county. 

^/ Brown, J. 8. J....^ King George county. 

Brown, William S giving George county. 

Boyd, William Lancaster county. 

Binns, Charles Loudoun county. 

Binns, Charles, Jr Loudoun county. 

Bradfield, A. J Loudoun county. 

Bennett, E. L Loudoun county. 

Boswell, Henry E Lunenburg county. 

^- Brown, John T.... Mecklenburg county. 

Baskerville, W Mecklenburg county. 

Baptist, John G Mecklenburg county. 

Baptist, Richard B Mecklenburg county. 

Black more, James Middlesex county. 

Byrd, James Montgomery county. 

Byrd, Otway Montgomery county. 

Boggs, John Northampton couniy. 

Brick house, .T. M Northampton county. 

Bates, Fleming North»iml)erland county 

Brent, A. J Northumberland county 

Brinton, W. P Nelson county. 

Boush, Samuel Norfolk county. 

Boush, John Norfolk county. 

Broaddus, A Page county. 

Bernard, David M Petersburg. 

Ballard, Robert Princess Anne county. 

Burroughs, John J Princess Anne county. 

Brooke, N Prince William county, 

Brooke, G Prince William county. 



3NDKX. Ill 

Brown, J Prince William county. 

Raskerville, John B Pulaski county. 

BecUwith, Sir Marmaduke Richmond county. 

Boude, John C Rockbridjje county. 

Barton, Nathauiel Shenandoah county. 

Beatti.^, Robert Smyth county. 

Berry, R. B -- Spotsylyania county. 

Beverly, Francis C Spotsylvania county. 

Bryan, R. H Stafford county. 

Bootlie, Walter S Surry county. 

Bailey, J. C Sussex county. 

Brown, G. W. G Tazewell county. 

Baker, Ewell Warren count j-. 

Brown, H. R. D Warwick countj'. 

Baugh, Leonidas Washington county. 

Branch, Peter J Washington county. 

Bernard, Richard Westmoreland county. 

Bland, James Westmoreland county. 

Booth, Rohert York county. 

Ballard, Thomas York county. 

C. 

Custis, W. H. B Accomac county. 

Carr, John Albemarle county. 

Callahau, Oliver Alleghany county* 

Cobbs, Samuel Amelia county. 

Coleman, E. H Amelia county. 

Clinton, J. B Amelia county. 

Crawford, W. S. Amherst county. 

Camm, John Amherst county. 

Cline, Samuel Augusta count3^ 

Coulter, John Augusta county. 

Coulter, Micajah Augusta county. 

Cameron, Charles Bath county. 

Cleek, Adam G Bath county. 

Crawford, W. H Bath count5\ 

Camper, John Botetourt county. 

Clack, Stirling Brunswick county, 

Clement, William A Campbell county. 

Clement, Robert A Campbell county. 

Cheatham, Silas Chesterfield county. 

Cogbili, W. W Chesterfield county. 

Coghill, Nathaniel H Chesterfield county. 

Cogbili, ^I. A Chesterfield county. 

Carter, Madison Carroll county. 

Christian, Robert W Charles City county. 

Christian, Edmund T Charles City county. 

Carrington, Henry A Charlotte county. 

Carrmgton, John C Charlotte county. 

Caldwell, George C Craig county. 

Crump, John P Dinwiddle county. 



rV INDEX. 

Cooke, Catesby Fairfax connty. 

Campbell, Hujili R Fauquier county. 

Campbell, William Fauquier county, 

Cobbs, John Fluviinna county. 

Callaway, James Finnklin county. 

Carper, Moses Franklin countj'. 

Carper, James J Franklin county. 

Carper, Henry E Franklin county. 

Carper, N. C Franklin countj'. 

Carey, John R Gloucester county. 

Cook, John S Gloucester county. 

Cornett, S. S Grayson county. 

Chambliss, John R Greensville county. 

Claiborne, James D Greensville county. 

Carrie, George Halifax county. 

Carrington, Paul Halifax county. 

Carrington, George Halifax county. 

Clay, J. D Halifax county. 

Clay, James or William Hanover county. 

Cliristian, James D Hanover county. 

Cox, John Henry countj*. 

Craig, Adam Henrico county. 

Chapman, Charles Isle of Wight county. 

Cogbill, Thomas O James City county. 

Carter, Cliarles Lee county. 

Cammack, John Louisa county. 

Cave, Benjamin Madison county. 

Cave, Belfield Madison county. 

Carej', John Matthews county. 

Clack, R. F Mecklenburg county. 

Conrad, W. C Middlesex countj'. 

Curtis, W. E Middlesex county. 

Cosby, O ^^lddlesex county. 

Crutchtield, Walker Petersburg. 

Carter, William H Scott county. 

Carter, C. M Scott county. 

Carter, Hansford W Scott county. 

Conn, R. M Shenandoah county. 

Copenhavcr, John S Smyth county. 

Cm tell field, Stapleton Spotsylvania county. 

Crismond, J. P. H Siiotsylvania county. 

Chow, John Spotsylvania countj'. 

Chew, RolicrtS, (son of John) Spotsylvania county. 

Chew, John J Spotsylvania county. 

Chew, Robert, (son of John J.) Spotsylvania county. 

Conway, John M Stafford countj-. 

Conway, Henry R Stafford county. 

Claiborne, C. A Surrj' county. 

Clements, Francis Surry county. 

Claiborne, Augustus Sussex county. 

Crockett, John Tazewell county. 



INDEX. V 

CoiTipton, William A Warren comity. 

Clay, S. de B Warwiclv county. 

Campbell, David Washington county. 

Campbell, John, (son of David) Washington county. 

Campbell, David, (son of John) Washington county. 

Campbell, James C Washington county. 

Cummings, David C Washington county. 

Cosby, Lewis T Washington country. 

Crockett, John C Wythe county. 

D. 

Duke, Richard W , Albemarle county. 

Davis, Arthur B Amherst county. 

Daniel, Leo, Jr Amherst county. 

Dabney, George William Campbell county. 

Debram, Mordecai Charles City county, 

Dixon, Roger Cuipeper county. 

Dulany, D. F Fairfax county. 

Deneale, George Fairfax county. 

Downman, R. H P^auquier county. 

Davis, Arthur L Gloucester county. 

Dickinson, Martin Grayson county. 

Dickinson, John Grayson county. 

Dickey, E. L Grayson county. 

Dickey, W.R „ Grayson county. 

Doswell, R. O Hanover county. 

Dupuy, A. M Henry couuty. 

Donezan, T. E Henry couuty. 

Drew, William Isle of Wight county. 

Davis, Hugh Isle of Wight county. 

Dale, J. Edward Lancaster county. 

Dare, William Lancaster county. 

Dunaway, Robert T Lancaster county. 

Doggett, Cyrus Lancaster county. 

Daly, J. J Lancaster county. 

Dowe, F. E Northumberland county 

Dandridge, Bat New Kent county. 

Denise, A. Rush Norfolk county. 

Davis, Thomas L Petersburg. 

Dance, William S Powhatan county. 

Dance, Powhatan Powhatan county. 

Dawe, Philip Prince William county. 

Davis, L. A Prince William county. 

Davis, W. H Pulaski county. 

Dudley, L. Edwin Richmond county. 

Daingerfield, Foxall Rockingham county. 

Dickinson, Henry Russell county. 

Dickinson, Henry H Kussell county. 

Dudley, L. Edwin Shenandoah county. 

Dabney, R. C Spotsylvania county. 

Dobie, J. H Sussex county. 



vr jyoKX. 

Doak, J. Tl Tazewell connty. 

J)ule. Kclward Washington county. 

Davenport, James Westmoreland county. 

E. 

Ellis, Charles L Amherst connty. 

Eskridge, William S Angusta countj'. 

Edwards, Nathaniel, .Ir Brunswick connty. 

Eldridge, Rolle Ihickingham county. 

Eldridge, Rolfe, Jr Buckingham county. 

Eppes, Lewellyn Charles City county, 

Eppcs, James Charles City county. 

Everard, Thomas Elizabeth City county. 

Edwards, W. L Fairfax county. 

Edwards, John T P'loyd county. 

Elliot, P. B Floyd county. 

Easley, John W Giles county. 

Easley, George VV Giles county. 

English, James W Giles county. 

Ellett, I.oftin N Henrico county. 

Eilett, James : Henrico county. 

Ellett, Temple Henrico county. 

Ensey, W. R Halifax county. 

Edwards, Tliomas Lancaster county. 

Edwards, Tliomas, Jr Lancaster county. 

Eubank, Warner f.ancaster connty. 

Eskridge, Charles G Loudoun county. 

Elliott, Robert Middlesex county. 

Eppcs, Richard Nottoway county. 

Emerson, Arthur .Norfolk countj'. 

Edwards, Leroy G Norfolk county. 

Edwards, G. F Norfolk countj'. 

Edwards, Jay I) Princess Anne county. 

Edmundson, J, K Rockbridge county. 

Ewin, Henry Rockingham county. 

Edwards, Littleton P Southampton countj'. 

Edwards, William Surry countj'. 

Edwardis, A. S Surrj' county. 

Everard, Thomas ...York county. 

F. 

Fudge, Andrew Alleghany county. 

Fudge, Joseph T Alleghanj' county. 

Francisco, C. L Bath countj'. 

Fisher, Edward Brunswick county. 

Forbes, Peter A Buckingham county. 

Flournoy, E. II Chesterlield county. 

Farrier, A.J Craig countj". 

Fitzhugh, William M P^iirlax county. 

Fletcher, T. N Fauquier county. 

French, Rufus A Giles countj'. 



INDEX. 



VII 



French, David Giles county. 

Fry, Philip Greene county. 

Fowlkes, William Henrico county. 

Fox, George K., Jr Loudoun county. 

Fatchett, William T Northampton county. 

Fontaine, James Northumberland county 

Fitzgerald, Francis Nottoway county. 

Fry, Philip S Orange county. 

Fry, Philip H Orange county. 

Fitzhugh, Milton Prince William county. 

Fravel, James G Shenandoah county. 

Fauleon, Jacob Surry county. 

Faulcon, John Surry count3\ 

Fornerick, John Surry county. 

Fitchett, J. R Surry county. 

Fox, Joseph Westmoreland county. 

Foster, William B Wythe county. 

G. 

Gilbert, John W Accomac county. 

Grant, John D Accomac county. 

Garrett, Alexander Albemarle county. 

Garrett, Ira Albemarle county. 

Goss, John W Albemarle county. 

Garland, Meredith Amherst county. 

Godwin, Thomas J Botetourt county. 

Gillespie, James H Buchanan county. 

Glass, Lewis F Clarke county. 

Glass, George , -. Clarke county. 

Gibson, John M Clarke county. 

Goode, John Craig county. 

Graham, John W Fairfax county. 

Gooding, William B Fairfax county. 

Graham, John Fairfax county. 

Goodson, William Floyd county. 

Godby, Jackson Floyd county. 

Greer, G. H. T Franklin county. 

Greer, James E Franklin county. 

Gibbon, C. W Frederick county. 

Griggs, Jerry ...Henry county. 

Gravely, George D Henry county. 

Griffin, Thomas B Lancaster county. 

Gordon, James Lancaster county. 

Gresham, Samuel O Lancaster county. 

Gibson, John R Lee county. 

Garrett, William E Loudoun county. 

Garland, Spotswood Nelson county. 

Gibson, Jonathan Orange county. 

Gaines, Edmund Pendleton Petersburg. 

Gaines, Henry B Petersburg. 

Grammer, John , , Petersburg. 



VIIJ I2?DES. 

Graham, Robert Prince William county. 

Graham, John Prince William county. 

Gilliam, Robert Prince George county. 

Gilliam, Robert, Jr Prince George county. 

Gardner, R, D Pulaski county. 

Gambill, Henry J Rockingham county. 

Gambill, Louis W Rockingham county. 

Gent, Jacob C Russell county. 

Gilmore, Granville Russell county. 

Gray, Isaac A Scott county. 

George, T. E Tazewell county. 

Gillespie, R. B Tazewell county. 

Graham, S. L Tazewell county. 

Graham, John Westmoreland county. 

H. 

Hutchinson, Robert Aceoniac county. 

Holden, George Accomac county. 

Hamilton, Andrew Alleghany county. 

Hutchinson, Bennett Alleghany county. 

Holloway, Lewis P Alleghany county. 

Hobbes, J. Jerome Alleghany county. 

Hunter, David M Alexandria county. 

Hunter, Alexander Alexandria county. 

Hann, J. H. H Amelia county. 

Hamilton, W. F Bland county. 

Hamilton, J. M Bland county. 

Howard, Benjamin Bedford county. 

Hill, Herbert Brunswick county. 

Hagy, George W Buchanan county. 

Hibbitts, Joseph Buchanan county. 

Hibbitts, Joseph H Buchanan county. 

Hudgin, Robert Caroline county. 

Hale, F. L Carroll county. 

Hay, John Clarke county. 

Hill, Clifton G Craig county. 

Hargrave, Charles A Dinwiddle county. 

Howard, Samuel S Elizabeth City county. 

Howard, Williams Elizabeth City county. 

Hauxhurst, Job Fairfax county. 

Humes, William M Fauquier county. 

Headen, James B Floyd county. 

Hylton, B. P Floyd county. 

Hume, Q. R..... Greene county. 

Hale, S. M Grayson county. 

Hash,. Jackson B Grayson county. 

Holt, William Halifax county. 

Holt, William S Halifax county. 

Holt, George C Halifax county. 

Harrison, John N Henrico county. 

Henley, Leonard James City county. 



INDEX. IX 

Henley, John A James City county. 

Hunter, John Louisa county. 

Hunter, David M Louisa county. 

-Hill Francis Madison county. 

Hugh, R. P Mecklenburg county. 

Healey, George Middlesex county. 

Healey, John S Middlesex county. 

Healey, George R Middlesex county. 

Howson, Robert Northampton county. 

Hutchinson, Robert Northampton county. 

Harraanson, La Fayette Northampton county. 

Hobson, Thomas Northumberland county 

Holmes, Isaac Nottoway county. 

Hill, William M Nelson county. 

Harris, J. N New Kent county. 

Hodges, J. P Norfolk county. 

Harris, William A Page county. 

Hendren, Patrick Petersburg. 

Hamlin, William Prince George county. 

Hooper, H. R Prince Edward county. 

Howard, Thomas G Richmond city. 

Howard, N. P Richmond city. 

Howard, Charles Richmond city. 

Howard, Robert Richmond city. 

Hog, Peter Rockingham county. 

Hartman, William McK Rockingham county. 

Hickock, W. H Surry county. 

Harrisson, W. G Tazewell county. 

Hutt, William Westmoreland count5^ 

Hutt, J. Warren Westmoreland county. 

Hudgin, A. F York county. 

Hubbard, Matthew York county. 

I. 

Imboden, John D Augusta county. 

Irving, Robert K Buckingham county. 

Ingles, James Isle of W'iglit county. 

Irvine, Joseph S Shenandoah county. 

J. 

Jackson, John Accomac county. 

Joynes, Thomas R Accomac county. 

Jones, John Brunswick county. 

Jones, Charles Binns Brunswick county. 

Jamieson, John Culpeper county. 

Jones, Cadwallader Cumberland county. 

Jennings, William H Fauquier county. 

Jennings, William A Fauquier county. 

Johnston, Edward Giles county. 

Judkins, William H Greensville county. 

Jones, Benjamin T Henry county. 



Jordan, T. R Halifax county. 

Jennings, John Isle of Wight county. 

Jennings, Charles Isle of Wight county. 

Janney, Charles P Loudoun county. 

Johnson, John R Montgomery county. 

Jones, Catesby, Jr Northumberland county 

Jones, Thomas, Jr Northumberland county 

Jackson, Harmann Nottoway county. 

Jorgenson, Joseph Prince Kdward county. 

Jones, II. P Pittsylvania county. 

Jenkins, Andrew IliciiuK^nd cit\-. 

Jeffress, J. F. B Richmond county. 

Jeffress, Isaac S Richmond county. 

Johnston, Frederick Roanoke county. 

Johnson, John M Scott coun(j\ 

Johnston, Peter C Smyth county. 

Jones, William H Warwick county. 

K. 

Kinney, Jacob Augusta county. 

Kinney, Chesley Augusta county. 

Kinney, Nicholas C Augusta county. 

Kasey, McLeod , Bedford county. 

Keith, James Frederick county. 

Knox, Tliomas P Loudoun county. 

Kinnan, John Matthews county. 

Ker, 1) Middlesex county. 

Kilby, John T Nanscmond county. 

Kirkinan, Jeta Northampton county. 

Kendall, Gilmore S Northampton county. 

Kello, Richard Southampton county. 

Kello, Samuel, Sr Southampton county. 

Kello, Samuel, Jr Southampton county. 

Kebler, Jeremiah Warren county. 

Kreger, John G Washington county. 

Kilgore, William J Wise county. 

L. 

Lord, Francis Accomac countj'. 

Leigh, John T Amelia county. 

Leigh, Egbert G Amelia county. 

Loving, William Amherst county. 

Lucas, A. F Amherst county. 

Lyle, James Augusta county. 

Lackland, William M Botetourt county. 

Lindsay, William Carroll county. 

Lee, Hugh H Clarke county. 

Lightfoot, Thomas Culpeper county. 

Lightfoot, F. T Culpeper county. 

Lee, John Essex county. 

Lee, John, Jr Essex county. 



INDEX. XI 

Lee, Hancock Essex county. 

Lundy, F. J Grayson county. 

Lightfoot, Henry Isle of Wight county. 

Littleton, Edgar Loudoun county. 

Littlepage, James Louisa county. 

Lindsay, John Louisa county. 

Littlepage, John Nansemond county. 

Locker, James Northampton county. 

Loving, 8. H , Nelson county. 

Lee, Richard Northumberland county 

Lauck, William C Page county. 

Lipscomb, Philip D Prince William county. 

Le Nave, John Prince Edward county. 

Lane, Prince George county. 

Larew, J. H Pulaski county. 

Lawton, William P Pulaski county. 

Logan, Joseph T Rockingliam county. 

Lynch, R. H Russell county. 

Lynch, Jacob Scott county. 

Lincoln, C. F Smyth county. 

Lanier, L Sussex county. 

Lowry, W. S. G Washington county. 

Lynch, Jacob Washington county. 

Lee, George Westmoreland county. 

Lipps, J. E ..., Wise countj'. 

Lipps, Morgan T Wise county. 

Lightfoot, Pliilip Yorlv county. 

M. 

Madison, John Augusta county. 

McClanahan, Alexander Augusta county. 

McDanald, C. R Bath county. 

Muncey, C. P Bland county. 

Mitchell, Roberto Bedford county. 

McDowell, James Botetourt county. 

May, John Botetourt county. 

May, David Botetourt county. 

May, Charles Edward Brunswick county. 

Marshall, George W Carroll county. 

Munford, Robert .-. Charles City county. 

McGuire, D. H Clarke county. 

McCartney, T. B Craig county. 

Martin, J. P Craig county. 

Mauzy, Fayette Culpeper county. 

Mauzy, W. M Culpeper county. 

Mann, William H Dinwiddle county. 

Matthews, William. Baynham Essex county. 

Micou, James Roy ...Essex county. 

Moss, William Fairfax county. 

Moss, Thomas Fairfax county. 

Moss, Alfred Fairfax county. 



XII INDEX. 

Marshall, A. J Fauquier county. 

Miller, William Goochland county. 

Miller, Narcissus W Goochland county. 

Miller, Williara, .Tr Goochland county. 

Mallory, D. C Grayson county. 

McCaminant, Samuel Grayson county. 

Matthews, G. H Grayson county. 

Miller, Daniel Greene county. 

Mason, Edmund Greensville county. 

Medley, James Halifax county. 

Medley, James, Jr Halifax county. 

Matthews, J, H Henry county. 

Matheney, Jacob C Highland county. 

Morecock, W. H. E James City county. 

Moore, Thomas A Jeirorson county, W. Vn. 

McCarty, Thaddeus Lancaster county. 

Moody, A. A Lancaster county. 

Morrison, J. W. S Lee county. 

Morgan, Henry J Lee county. 

Miller, George S Matthews county. 

Miller, ShepardG Matthews county. 

Muse, Thomas Middlesex county. 

Montague, R. D Montgomery county. 

McCorkle, James Montgomery' countj'.^ 

Matthews, Edward Northampton county. 

Mellinger, William Northampton county. 

McDonald, J. J Northumberland county 

Massie, Thomas J Nelson county. 

Martin, Alvah A Norfolk county. 

Miller, Thomas Powhatan county. 

Mann, Edwin Murray Tetersljurg. 

Moseley, E. H Princess Anne county. 

Matthews, John D Prince George county. 

Menifee, William J Rappahannock county. 

McCarty, Bartholomew Richmond county. 

McCauley, William Roanoke county. 

McCaul, P. H Roanoke county. 

Messerley, John S Rockingham county. 

McWilliams, Samuel Rockingham county. 

Moore, J. P Rockbridge county. 

McHenry, John Scott county. 

Martin, Johns Scott county. 

Morrison, Smith H Scott county. 

McConnell, S. P Scott county. 

^Marshall, Thomas Shenandoah county. 

Miley, George W Shenandoah county. 

Moore, A. B Smyth county. 

Moncure, (Jeorge V Stallord county. 

Morgan, T. S Stallord county. 

Macatee, C. A Warren county. 

Minor, William C Warwick county. 



INDEX. xiir 

McDougal, Charles Washington county. 

Miller, James S Wythe county. . 

Matthews, John P Wythe county. 

Matthews, Harold S Wythe county. 

N. 

Nicholas, John Albemarle county. 

Neville, George Botetourt county. 

Nelson, William Caroline county. 

Nicholas, Ediaiund Cumberland county. 

Nicholas, John Dinwiddle county. 

Neighbors, Thomas Elizabeth City county. 

Nulton, J. A Frederick county. 

North, John A Greenbrier county, W.Va 

Nelson, John Louisa county. 

Neech, Daniel Northampton county. 

Nicholas, John Orange county. 

Nimmo, William T Princess Anne county. 

Norville, William H Prince William county. 

Nelson, Edwin Prince William county. 

Nelson, William Surrj" county. 

O. 

Oldham, Montcalm, Jr Accomac county. 

Ordain, A. M Dinwiddle county. 

Orr, James W Lee county. 

Osman, L. C .....Prince William county. 

P. 

Peyton, Henry J Augusta county. 

Points, William J Augusta county. 

Poulson, Robert J Accomac county. 

Preutis, Robert R Albemarle county. 

Pharr, John R Alleghanj' county. 

Payne, Lewis E Alleghany county. 

Peachy, T. Griffin Amelia county. 

Peers, George T Appomattox county. 

Porter, S. A Bath county. 

Pelham, Peter Jr Brunswick county. 

Pratt, Boyce M Buckingham county. 

Poindexter, Park. Chesterfield county. 

Pendleton, John Carrgil county. 

Pendleton, .John S Otwuxxll county. « - >' 

Payne, Charles B Culpeper county. 

Phipps, Columbus Dickinson county. 

Phillips, William F Fauquier county. 

Peck, James B Giles county. 

Porterfield, G. W Giles county. 

Payne, George Goochland county. 

Pritchett, Robert Greene county. 

Page, Z. K Greene county. 



SIV 1SDT.X. 

Pelham, Peter, Jr Greensville county. 

Potts, John W Greensville county. 

Pollard, William, Sr Hanover county. 

Pollard, William, Jr Hanover county. 

Pollard, Thomas Hanover county. 

Pollard, W. T. H Hanover county. 

Pollard, Pobert King and Queen county, 

I'ollard, Robert, Jr King and Queen county, 

Pollard, Robert King William county. 

Pollard, Robert, Jr King William county. 

Pollard, Robert Ryrd King William county. 

Pollard, James Otway King William county. 

Pollard, William Dandridge King William county. 

Phillips, John Lancaster covinty. 

Powell, William A Loudoun countj'. 

Poindexter, John Louisa countj'. 

Poindexter, Nicholas J Louisa county. 

Parsons, Samuel H Louisa county. 

Porter, Jesse J Louisa county. 

Patterson, John Matthews county. 

Price, Thomas Middlesex county. 

Prentis, Peter B Xansemond county. 

Poke, Godfrey Northampton county. 

Preeson, Jerubbabel Ni)rlhampton county. 

Pitts, E. D Northampton county. 

Payne, George Pittsylvania county. 

Poindexter, James Powhat;in county. 

Poor, John C Prince William county. 

Parham, Henry Prince George county. 

Pollock, D. S Pulaski county, 

Peyton, Benjamin F Rappahannock county. 

Peachy, Leroy Richmond county. 

Pendleton, F. W Richmond county. 

Pollard, Benjamin Richmond city. 

Pendleton, James F Smyth county. 

Prince, Joseph B Southampton county. 

Peyton, V. Y Stafford county. 

Prince, John J Sussex county. 

Prince, George W Sussex county. 

Parker, Richard Westmoreland county. 

Perkey, K. C Wise county. 

Q. 
Quarles, Robert S Bedford county. 

R. 

Reynolds, Johnson Alleghany county. 

Repass, F. F Bland county. 

Reid, B. W Botetourt county. 

Robinson, John Brunswick county. 

Ratliff, John S Buchanan county. 



INDEX. X\ 

Reid, R. E Campbell county. 

Robinson, Benjamin Carroll county. 

Robinson, Joseph Carroll county. 

Read, Thomas Charlotte county. 

Robinson, Winslow Charlotte county. 

Richardson, F. D FairAix county. 

Richardson, F. W Fairfax county. 

Rogers, James Fauquier county. 

Reilly, Robert L Fauquier county. 

Rice, Benjamin Franklin county. 

Reilly, T. A. Tidball Frederick county. 

Reilly, J. P Frederick county. 

Reilly, J. P., Jr Frederick county. 

Reilly, J. C Frederick county. 

Redd, Waller Henry county. 

Reamy, Sanford Henry countj'. 

Robinson, Joseph King George county. 

Read, Clement Lunenburg county. 

Robinson, Christopher Middlesex county. 

Rogers, Lewis P Norfolk county, 

Randolph Peter Nottoway county. 

Rucker, Larkin G Patrick county. 

Reid, J. H Prince William county. 

Reterick, R. M Rappahannock county. 

Reterick, Edward C Rappahannock county, 

Reid, Andrew Rockbridge county. 

Reid, S, McDowell Rockbridge county. 

Robinson, John Richmond city. 

Riggs, William H. Scott county. 

Roberts, E. L Smyth county. 

Rochelle, James Southampton county, 

Robinson, William Warwick countj', 

Russell, Andrew Washington county. 

S. 

Snead, Robert Accomac county. 

Snead, Charles Accomac county. 

Savage, Lewellyn ; Accomac county. 

Scott, William M Alleghany county. 

Seaton, oreorge C Alexandria county. 

Seaton, George Amherst county. 

Stribling, Erasmus Augusta county. 

Steptoe, James Bedford county. 

Steptoe, James C Bedlord county. 

Steptoe, John R Bedford county. 

Speece, John M Bedford county. 

Stith, Drury Brunswick county. 

Saunders, George M Buchanan county. 

Sutherland, W. H Carroll county. 

Smith, William A Charlotte county. 

Smith, William Charlotte county. 



XVI INDEX. 

Swjinn, Thompson rumbpiiand county. 

Kfyinour, L. I) Elizabeth City county. 

Sinilh, John A \V Fiiuquicr county. 

Sheior, William H Floyd count}'. 

ShciianI, A., .Ir Fluvanna count j'. 

Rch later, William Fluvanna county. 

J<mith, Stephen Franklin county. 

Scott, Robert A Franklin county, 

81ierrard, J. H Frederick county. 

Stuart, John G'reeiibiier cwunti'. 

Stuart, r.ewis (ireen brier county. 

Spotts, Mark L „ (jreeiibrier county. 

Sims, William F ' Greene county. 

Stephenson. Adam Highland county. 

.Slovern, Thomas H Highland county. 

Smith, John W King George county. 

Stewart, J<jhn G King George county. 

Smith, Edward King George county. 

Stanford, Vincent Lancaster county. 

SI retch ley, Jotliam Lancaster county. 

Shearman, 'llionias Lancaster county. 

Saunders, Presley Loudoun county. 

Sinclair, James Loudoun county. 

Smith, Armistead Matthews county. 

Smith, Sands Matthews county. 

Sloan, J. .M Matthews county. 

Stanard, William Middlesex counts'. 

Skipwith,Grey Middh-sex county. 

Se;rar, Richard M Middlesex county. 

Stringer, Hilary Northampton countj'. 

Stith,GritRn Xorihamiiton county. 

Savage. Thomas l>yttleton Northampton county. 

Stith, John R Nottoway county. 

Staples, Samuel Patrick county. 

Staples, Abram Patrick county. 

Staples, Samuel (i Patrick county. 

Staples, Abram. Jr Patrick county. 

Scruggs, Lan;:horne Pittsylvania county. 

Shepherd. William B Pittsylvania county. 

Smi.h, Willis U I'owhatan county. 

Sayre, Charles Princess .\nne countj". 

Say re, Arthur I'rincess Anne county. 

Savaye, George Princess Anne county. 

StrawhamI, James E Princess Anne county. 

Sinclair, M. H Prince William county, 

Sturdivant. N. B Prince George county. 

Sherlock. James Richmond county. 

Saunders, George Richmond c<.unty. 

Shield, Alfred Richmond city 

Sprinkle, Arthur C Rockingham county. 

Steele, Joseph G Rockbridgi^ county. 



INDEX. XVII 

Shoemaker, Tames L Scott conntj-. 

Sexton, William C Smyth coiinty. 

Sfolt, Edward A smytli county. 

Stephen S(jn, h'. li Spotsylyania count}'. 

Staunton, Robert '^urry county. 

Shield, Samuel Warwicic county. 

Sorrel, Thomas Westmoreland counly. 

Shield, Samue! York county. 

Shield, Bolivar York county. 

Se<lywick, William York county. - 

Stuart, William A Wythe county. 

T. ■ 

Taylor, Bennett Albemarle county. 

Tacey, Jerter.son Alexandria c(>uniy. 

Townes, James Amelia county. 

Tinslcy, Robert Amherst county. 

Tracey, .1. W Bland county. 

Tazwell, Littleton Brunswick county. 

Turnbull, Robert B>runswit-k county. 

Turn bull, Charles Brunswick county. 

Turnbull, Edward Randolph Brunswick county. 

Turnbull, Edward Randolph, Jr Brunswick county. 

Taylor, George Keith Caroline county. 

Tabb, Johnson Elizabeth Ci;y county. 

Turner, John R Fauquier county. 

Timberlake, John ?'luvanna counly. 

Tate, Caleb Franklin county. 

Tidball,T. A Frederick county. 

Thawley, John Gloucester county. 

Turner, Joseph Greensville county. 

Turner, E. L (;reensvllle county. 

Taylor, John H Hanovt^r county. 

Tuiberville, Edward King George count}'. 

Turner, Thomas King George county. 

Turner, Harry King George county. 

Tunstall, King and Queen county. 

Taylor, B. T Kingand Qut en county. 

Taylor, Joseph Lancaster county. 

Towles, Henry Lancaster county. 

Towles, James Lancaster county. 

Thomps«»n, S. E Lee county, 

Taylor, William Lunenburg county. 

Taylor, William H Lunenburg county. 

Thomas, Reuben S Madison county. 

Tabb, John Mecklenburg county. 

Tabb, Edward L .Mecklenburg county. 

Trice, Robert N Middlesex county. 

Thacker, Edwin Middlesex couniy. 

Trigg, Abram Montgomery county. 

Thacker, ChicheleyCorbin New Kent county. 



XVIII INDEX. 

Taylor, Charles New Kent county. 

Taylor, George Orange county. 

Taylor, James Orange county. 

Taylor, George C Orange county. 

Todd, Barllett P Petersburg. 

Tunstall, -W'illiain, Sr Pittsylvania county. 

TunsttiU, William, Jr Pittsylvania county. 

Tunstall, William H Pittsylvania county. 

Tuggle, Henry Patrick county. 

Tarpley, T Richmond county. 

Taylor, J. Henry Scott county. 

Towles, Theret .Spotsylvania county. 

Tackelt, C. A StaflTord county. 

Towson, Edward Stafford county. 

Thornton, J. D Sussex county. 

Thompson, J. W Tazewell county. 

Turner, Robert Warren county. 

Trigg, Conally F Washington county. 

Thornton, Wesley Westmoreland county. 

U. 

Upshur, C. B Northampton county. 

Underwood, W. P Surry county. 

Underwood, J. C Surry county. 

V. 

Vaughan, Henry C Alleghany county. 

Vaughan, E. H Halilax county. 

Van Bostwick, Lem York county. 

W. 

Wise, John Accomac county. 

Washburn, John Accomac county. 

Wood, J. Snowdeu Albemarle county. 

Wilcox, Edward Amelia county. 

Wilson, Joseph Bedford county. 

Wilson, G. W Botetourt county. 

Woltz, Ferdinand Botetourt county. 

Worsham, Branch Buckingham county. 

Wilson, Robert W ('ampbell county- 
Wat kins, Benjamin Chestertield county. 

Watkins, Thomas Chesterfield county. 

Warrell, P^som Carroll county. 

Walker, Wyatt Charles City county. 

Waddill, Edmtind Charles City county. 

Woodson, Miller Cumberland county. 

Woodson, Miller, Jr Cumberland county. 

Woodson, Blake B Cumberland county. 

Wager, William Elizabeth City county. 

Westwood, W Elizabeth City county. 

Wagoner, Peter Fairfax county. 



INDEX. XIX 

Withers, David Fauquier county. 

Wo(>d, Berkley Fauquier county. 

Wood, James Fredericli county. 

Wood, Henry Goocliland county. 

Wood, Valentine Goochland county. 

Wagere, A Frederick county. 

Woodrum, Hugh Giles county. 

Watts, Ballard P Giles county. 

Wimbish, John .- Halifax county. 

Williams, Samuel Halifax county. 

Winston, P. B Hanover county. 

Winston, W. O Hanover county. 

Whitlock, Izzard B Henrico county. 

Waddill, Samuel P Henrico county. 

Wombwell, Thomas Isle of Wight county. 

Woodson, Thomas Isle of Wight county. 

Wise, Richard A James City county. 

Winston, O. M King William county. 

Walkei', Benjamin M King William county. 

Wells, Alexander W Lee county. 

West, John B Lee county. 

Wise, William N Loudoun county. 

Webb, William W Lunenburg county. 

Webb, William W Lunenburg county. 

Walker, John, Jr Madison county. 

Wade, James M Montgomery county. 

Wade, John C Montgomery county. 

Wade, Charles J. Montgomery county. 

Woodward, P. T Middlesex county. 

Waters, William Northampton county. 

Worder, N. J Northampton county. 

Wilson, William J Northampton county. 

Wilson, Willam, Jr Norfolk county. 

Wilson, William H Norfolk county. 

Willis, Henry Orange county. 

Watson, John W Page countj'. 

Woodhouse, John J Princess Anne county. 

Watkins, Francis Prince Edward county. 

Wagoner, Peter Prince William county. 

Worsham, B, J Prince Edward county. 

Williams, John Prince William county. 

Williams, Peter Prince William county. 

Williams, McSamuel Prince William county. 

Warren, L. D Richmond county. 

Wood, James O Scott county. 

Wood, M. B Scott county. 

White, C. W Scott county. 

Walker, S. L Shenandoah county. 

Williams, John, Jr Shenandoah county. 

Williams, Philip Shenandoah county. 

Williams, Samuel C Shenandoah county. 



XX INDEX. 

Watkins, George Snrrj' county. 

Wsiller, .John Spotsylvanhi conntj*. 

AValler, Edmund Spotsylvania county. 

Waller, William ><potsylvania county. 

Waller, John, (son of William) Spotsylvania county. 

Waller, .lolm, .Ir Spotsylvania county. 

Ward, John Tazewell county. 

Wells, K. G Wise county-. 

Waller, Robert H York county. 

Y. 

Young, FT. H Alexandria county. 

Ytningor, John W Crai^ county. 

Youn<r, Frineis Isle of Wight county. 

Younj^. James Isle of Wight county. 

Young. Nathaniel Isle of Wight . ounty. 

Young, Nathaniel P Isle of Wight 'Muniy. 

Yates, John L Lunenburg co Mty. 

Yeatmau, Thomas K Matthews cuunty. 

Z. 
Zentmeyer, John N Floyd county. 




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